RWBY: The Dismal Demon
by Chinsangan
Summary: The World of Remnant is a dangerous place, filled with the terrifying creatures of Grimm alongside horrifying Demons. The Huntsmen combat the Grimm while a select few deals with the otherworldly foes. But some just enjoy the thrill of tearing apart the demonic hoard... and some just want to live up to their older brothers. (Blake x Reader)
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

The streets of Vale are flooded with the nonstop rain pouring down on the city. Plenty of puddles have formed along the streets and on sidewalks to dampen one's shoes and day. The street lights flicker to gift an uncomfortable aura for those who're unfortunate enough to walk through the city. Walking around at night is already hazardous enough. Sure, the Grimm skulk around the world but another fearful breed can infiltrate the Kingdoms without notice. People would feel safer if the lights were persistent, but those forces enjoy watching humans and Faunus scream and run. One man treks his way through the rain, making his way to the rougher part of Vale. You can hear the bumping of a beat echoing through the street, the echoes of people's laughs and cheers managing to reach his ears.

Your clothes, a simple, flowing purple coat with a strong collar to hide your neck, yet barely passing your jawline, and sleeves cutting off at the wrists. The coat is simple on the outside, only having some golden buttons running down the front with woven engravings reaching shin level. The inside, a tad brighter, has its own set of engravings that remains hidden from the world. Beneath the coat is a blue dress shirt that shares similar designs to the coat – having a prominent collar that wraps almost all the way around the next and designs weaving along and around the done up buttons. The shirt is tucked into a slate coloured pair of jeans that are held sturdy by a makeshift belt that doubles as a holster – the guns being hidden by the coat. Your boots, a complimenting brown, are just short of his ankles with buckles to keep them tight.

Despite the unrelenting rain, you press on until you reach the source of these loud sounds. You've heard of this from your brother – a popular entertainment spot for humans and… other creatures looking for some fun. The building's layout blocks any rain from falling on you, giving you the opportunity to run your hand into your snow-white hair and violently shake the water out. It's not a foolproof tactic, but it stops it from dripping incessantly. The same can't be done for your coat, however, but that's just something you'll have to live with. You push open the door and experience the full force of the music, lights, and voices. Non-stop upon your arrival, but a guard, one dressed in a black suit with a matching hat, red glasses, shoes, and a nice red tie, steps in your way.

"Not here to make trouble, are ya, buddy?" He gruff voice is so clearly forced that you almost laugh.

"Depends on what you consider trouble," you brush off your coat, flinging small droplets around you. You look back to him, his glare unmoving. "No, I'm not here to make trouble."

"Eh… you look like it."

"I can look like a lot of things. Doubt you look like a guard all day."

He grunts as he steps back. "Got my eye on you."

"I feel so safe," you roll your eyes and move deeper into the booming building. Your eyes scour the customers and party goers, looking for something that catches your fancy.

That fancy comes when you approach the bar, seeing two young ladies who look similar with different colour schemes.

"Hm… déjà vu… and yet," they're sitting with two patrons, obviously attempting to drain their wallets with flirtation. "Heh… potluck," you reaffirm to yourself.

Without directly being noticed, you take a seat and watch the four of interest for at least two minutes. Good for your work but bad on customer service. A man, dressed differently from the others, approaches you. He has a long sleeve, white dress shirt with a black vest overtop and a red tie snuggled between them. His pants are black along with his gloves. His hair is short on top with it connecting via sideburns down to a trimmed beard and moustache.

"What can I get you?" He asks while drying a large glass.

"Those two over there," you flick your chin towards the group. "The girls work here?"

"Why do you wanna know?" His voices gets a tad more serious. He sets the glass down and leans closer to you. "They're my girls. Why? Interested?"

Your fingers dance along the glass bar. "I have a proposition," you look back at him, a cocky smile plastered on your face. "Those two they're with… they're demons."

"Demons?" Junior laughs, taking a step back. "You think I believe in a fairy tale?"

"That's your choice… but," you look back over at the group. "They're about to leave your building and take away your girls. Now…" As you predicted, the four get up and start heading for the doors. "You're gonna pay me a thousand lien to save your girls."

"Are you-"

You raise your hand to cut him off. "But if I'm wrong… I'll give you five hundred," you raise your brow and smile. "What'd ya say?"

Junior is somewhat swayed but your offer but also your confidence. His eyes move between you and his girls. If they are in danger then he needs to act, but if they're not…

"Fine."

You pat the table and push off towards the exit. "Consider your girls safe."

You make a b-line towards the door, being less than a minute behind your targets. Once you leave the building you take a moment to breathe. "Hehe, yeah, I was pretty cool. He's gonna be so proud." You recollect yourself and look around. "Alright, where did they go?"

After focusing, you hear giggles of both men and women. You take a right and follow the building closely and cut the corner, spotting the group a few feet farther down. The guys are up against the wall while the girls have their hands all over them, their knees slowly and voluntarily giving out.

You roll your neck before marching in with as much confidence as you can muster.

_Just gotta be like him. Should be easy._

"Hey, let those women alone!" You point towards the guys. "Wait, no, damnit!" You turn away, wait a moment, then return your gaze to them. "Leave those women alone!"

The four stare at you, completely baffled by your idiocy. The men get a little more irritated than Junior's girls.

"Hey, bro, why you gotta cockblock us like this?"

"You de- wait… hm…" You place a hand on your chin. "Demons usually yell at me as soon as-"

"Sparda's kin!" A voice echoes from the group.

The mens' clothing starts to morph, gaining a scaly texture. They leap off the men, landing beside the girls in their true form. The demons are skinny and flat, their eyes and mouth residing on their chest while the human-esque head is merely a limp, fleshy, useless part of their being. With long claws on their hands and feet, they could easily rip apart a regular person in one slash.

The four clubbers start screaming in terror at the sight of demons. It's usually how people react when facing their first, but you're somewhat unimpressed.

"HA! I knew it! I knew I smelt a demon!" You reach towards your back, under your coat, and grab the two pistols holstered away. You pull them out and… drop the left one. "Ah! No!" You attempt to swipe it, instead just smacking it towards the wall.

The pistol slams against the wall, the impact causing it to shoot a bullet right between the left demon's eyes. It falls over, slowly disintegrating.

"No!" The remaining demon leaps back to get more distance. "I should've expected as much from you. But if I take your power… I'll rule it all!"

You're completely ignoring him, shuffling towards the gun. "Man, I'm not used to these things," you pick the gun up and return your focus to the demon. You jump forward, putting yourself between the demon and the civilians. "Don't worry, you got a demon hunter on your side!" You spin the guns around your finger, trying to show off a bit. "Too bad for you… this was your last shot," you stop the spinning and aim the guns… at you.

You attempt to pull the trigger, which of course doesn't work because of your mistake. "What the-" You extend your fingers forward which fires both guns directly at your face. The impact flips you around almost completely, your body landing chest first onto the ground with your legs following soon. The four people scream as blood pools around your body. However… you start to get back up.

"Son of a bitch, ow!" You rub your forehead. "Stupid guns. 'Hey, you should use these cause I do!' Forcing his ways on me," you get back to your feet and grab the guns. "I told him over and over that I just don't do guns. I always end up shooting myself," you stretch your neck back and forth before pointing the guns at the demon. "Okay, can we try that again?"

The demon snarls, leaping back onto a building across the way and fleeing. You sigh, putting the guns back in your holster. Well, one reaches. The other completely misses the mark, falls on the ground, and fires right into your behind.

"GAH!" You jump forward and rub your penetrated tooshie. "I hate these things!" You stare down at the special gun, squinting at its evil. "You're the real demon here," you carefully approach it, making sure not to make any sudden moves. You carefully pick the gun up by the butt and place it back in its holster. "Okay…" You exhale. "Now you're saved," you flip your hair and give the humans a confident look… only for them to be on the floor, unconscious from your display. "Ah, man… I bet they'd say what big blue would say. 'That was a dismal performance lacking any true motivation and power.' I have plenty of those things! You hear that!" You shout to the sky. "I should actually get these guys inside. It's cold and rainy."

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You stop in front of a shop near the heart of vale. It's glowing neon sign, Devil May Cry, lights up the With a pizza in your hand and money in your pocket, you approach the door and push it open. You're greeted with the somewhat messy innards of your brother's business. A couch to the left, a jukebox in the corner, a ceiling fan above, stairs, desk, weapons, and plenty of pizza boxes.

"That's a smell I recognize," a muffled voice says, coming from behind the desk.

His black boots are resting on the table, red pants tucked into them. He has a long, tight long sleeve black shirt with a red vest overtop and black gloves – a small patch of skin between the end of his shirt and the gloves. His coat is hung on the wall behind him beside the infamous Rebellion. He flicks his head forward, pushing the magazine perfectly onto the desk.

"I couldn't tell," you respond, approaching the desk and setting the steaming pizza down.

"Successful outing?" He opens the box and gets a great whiff of the food. "Oh, baby, that's what I'm talking about!"

"Oh, you'd be proud, Dante" you grab some pizza. "I perfectly figured out who the demons were and how they were hiding," take a few steps around to emulate a performance. "After saving some damsels in distress, I pulled out those guns you gave me, distracting the demons with my dextrous performance, then gunned them down with no effort at all!" You victoriously chomp down on the pizza, happily chewing.

"I don't believe a single word of it," Dante shakes his head. "You suck with guns. I'm surprised there's not a little hole in your head right now."

"You're the one who took Force Edge and shoved these guns onto me," you put the pizza back in the box and unclip the holster before pulling it out from behind. "I'll stick with my sword, thanks," you set the ensemble on his desk.

Dante swallows his pizza and shrugs. "Makes no difference to me. You said they worked perfectly so I can send'em back. Congrats, little brother, you… were a weapons tester."

You pick up your same pizza and pause.

_Guns like these don't fire when they bounce on the ground… oh…_

"You alright there? You're looking pale."

"Ah, nothing," you wave him off. "Everything is… so great," you grab a new piece and take a seat on the table. "I see you didn't clean at all."

"I didn't move at all," Dante chuckles. "Saving my energy for this foe," he dunks the pizza into his mouth. "Your sword's in the back… plus another gift."

"A gun?"

"A gun."

"You're not letting me out of this, are you?"

"Not letting you be another Vergil. One of that guy is already a handful," he devours another slice.

You laugh. "I'm far from being another Vergil. You heard from him?"

Dante shakes his head, both to answer you and tear the cheesy goodness apart.

"Wonder what he's up to… ah well, I'm going to bed. Don't hide my weapon," you say as you push off the desk and head towards the stairs.

"Why would I ever do that?" He replies with a smirk. "And you have to pay rent tomorrow!"

"Do it yourself! I'm the one who fought them!" You shout from above.

Dante looks back to his food and sighs, hearing you step across the platform and enter the room. "Hm…" He slumps further into his chair.

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Along a dirt path, far outside Vale, a man with a brown cloak marches, slow and steady, confident and motivated.

**Alright, this will be fun. I've actually ended up thinking more on silly, omake-like chapters compared to the actual plot I have cooked up. This book might be longer than I want just to add silly scenarios later. But that's for another time. With DMC 5 out and me playing the balls out of it and loving almost every second of it (fuck Nero) it was the perfect time for a certain sized genatools to hold me at gunpoint and dig up the buried story. Granted, this is a short story so stringing the plot together is a bit easier, but it's still fun to make. I'm in that DMC mood so I guess everything fell into place. **

**And yes, it's Blake! Funny enough, she's also my least favourite from team RWBY… which means Weiss, the one who's probably tied for first, is the only one without a story. Funny how things work out. Not like I wanna make a Spider-Man, Love Live, SAO or Undertale story. Nah, DMC x RWBY. Granted, I do want to do that… alright, I can't complain. I think having a mesh of demons and Grimm is an interesting concept. Now I get to play around with it here, in a small chunk.**

**Anyway, I won't take up any more time. The next chapter will be out soon. This will only be five chapters, excluding this prologue… so six parts in total. Also, don't try to put this in the timeline at all. Doing what I want without having an uncaring Dante but also having Vergil but they're still young… just, take it as it is. It's a short story, have fun with it. But that's all for me! See you next time here or in any of my other stories!**

**Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan**

**Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! **

**I also have a Pa tr eon, if you want to check that out! Pat reon . com (slash) Chinsangan**

**My Discord is now open! If you want to join, either check my bio for a link, find it on my Twitter, or message me directly!**

**A special thank you to supporters: Manuel Garcia, James Tubbs, MazMan, MTX, Sassylemons, and Big Genatools**

**Extra special thanks to Ride The Lightning and Nicholas X Wright!**

**And finally, thank you to the Beta Reader: Me cause I forgot to ask anyone. Hey, reader, you know DMC and RWBY? Do you also have a keen eye for editing? Well, why not send me a message and help me with this short story! Is this just a joke? Maybe! Who knows! I always need more Betas to not pay and force to slave over my chapters.**

**I don't make them slave. I'm actually really nice.**

**I waited six months for a chapter once.**

**I'm a push over.**


	2. Chapter 1: The Hunt Begins

**Chapter 1: The Hunt Begins**

Beacon, a place that cultivates some of the best Huntsmen and Huntresses Remnant has ever seen – the best fighting force to protect Remnant from the terrifying Grimm. Many young men and women go through years of training at Beacon to become the public defenders of Remnant. These boys and girls are extremely dedicated to their studies…

Ruby kicks open the dorm door while shouting. She takes one step in and stops. "Class sucks," she places her hands on her hips.

The three other members of her team walk in and pass her.

"I have to agree," Blake calmly speaks as she elegantly slides into bed and cuddles in. "I don't think I've learned a single thing in Professor Port's class."

"What'd ya mean, Blake?" Yang hops onto her bed and kicks her feet. "All the miraculous adventures we've heard about is sure to have a lesson or two."

"Your attempts at humour are less than entertaining," Weiss takes a seat on her bed. "It's an entire class made for him to stroke his own ego."

"And this is the second year we've gone through it. There has to be something you've learned," Yang retorts.

"That Professor Port can put anything to sleep," Ruby answers. "Remember when the Beowolf he brought into class actually fell asleep," she ends with a giggle.

"Oh yeah," Blake snickers. "I never thought that was possible. Made for an interesting class."

"If only it escaped. We could've seen him actually do something," Weiss crosses her arms and rolls her eyes.

"Think we can lure a Grimm to the-"

"No," the three older students say in unison.

Ruby crosses her arms and pouts. "Fine… it's not like we couldn't handle it…"

"You remember the last time we dealt with a Deathstalker?" Blake nonchalantly teases.

"WELL I WOULDN'T BRING ONE OF THOSE!" Ruby frantically waves her arms.

"I don't think she could if she wanted to," Yang chuckles.

"You wanna go, sis?" Ruby puts up her fists.

"Them be some fighting words, Rubes," Yang hops off her bed. "You sure?"

"Put'em up, sis, put'em up!" Ruby loops her fists in front of her.

Just before the sisters can brawl, someone knocks on the team's door.

"You got lucky," Ruby walks past her sister with squinted eyes.

"Keep telling yourself that," Yang says with confidence.

Ruby opens the door for Glynda Goodwitch, one of the most respected and feared teachers at Beacon.

"Oh, hey Professor!" Ruby smiles. "Are we… in trouble?"

"Should you be in trouble?" Goodwitch raises her brow.

"Shut up, Ruby!" Yang sharply whisper.

"Not at all!" Ruby stands in attention. "What do you need, ma'am?"

The teacher sighs. "Professor Ozpin has a mission for you."

"Really?" Weiss gets off her bed. "That's our first mission this year…"

"It's about time!" Yang cheers. "Let's go, team!"

"Please report to Professor Ozpin's office immediately," Glynda remains stone cold. "If not, I'll be coming back for you."

The older woman takes her leave. The four students look between one another, a cold chill felt by each thanks to the professor.

Blake breaks the silence by clearing her throat. "I wonder what this mission could be."

"No use guessing," Weiss replies. "Let's not waste the Headmaster's time."

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"Hey dumbass," with the sound of a moving curtain, the afternoon sun beams down on you.

"Gah," you obstruct the light with your hand. "What, Dante?"

"You have a job."

You rub your face and shift to sitting on the bed. "A job… aren't you the one who should be running these?" You look over at him with squinted eyes.

"I did the last job and look how that went."

"Heh… Patty… fine!" You push off the bed and stretch. "Give me a minute and I'll be down."

"I already got your weapons ready," Dante walks towards the door.

"You're a caring brother."

"You better believe it," he ends with a chuckle.

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The team sits quietly in Ozpin's office as the gray-haired man types away on his computer. He hasn't spoken, the girls haven't spoken, the only noise is the clockwork above. The students look between each other, exchanging silent conversation.

"My apology, girls. An exciting time is approaching and I must prepare."

"What is it, Professor? Are we having another Vytal Festival?" Ruby smiles.

"It's every two years, dunce," Weiss scolds.

"No, something more… personal," Ozpin clears his throat. "Anyhow, Glynda should have told you why I asked you here."

"She did," Blake nods. "A new mission?"

"The first one this year," Ozpin recollects. "My apologies for that. Your team had the highest success rate for first years. You also won the Vytal Festival Tournament. Quite the resume, truly."

"We're a great team!" Ruby affirms. "There's nothing we can't handle."

"That's good to hear," Ozpin smiles. "I have… a special request for you all. I'm going to upload four separate coordinates to your scrolls. A woman will meet you in each location. They should lead you to an artifact. Collect all four and bring them back to me. Any questions?"

The team looks amongst themselves, each having their own thoughts but no questions for the headmaster.

"Leave it to us, sir," Ruby nods.

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"Why such a basic mission?" Ruby whines. "Go to these places and collect these things? It's like a video game."

The four enter a Bullhead waiting at the docks, warmed up and ready to go.

"Clearly it's important," Blake replies. "If anything, we should be thankful that our first mission is such an easy one."

"We shouldn't complain. Ozpin said it would take us a few days-"

"A break from school is fine with me," Yang stretches her arms up. "Plus we get some sightseeing. Vale, Atlas, Vacuo, even Menagerie!"

"It'll be nice seeing my parents again," Blake nods. "Unfortunately… that's the third one on our list."

"That just means we get through the first two fast!" Ruby throws her fist in the air.

"We're taking off in one minute. Make sure you're all buckled in," the pilot shouts.

The team quickly strap in and wait for take off. Their first destination is about twenty minutes away, so comfort is key.

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With your body cleansed by a shower and your regular attire snuggly fitted, you're ready to do Dante's job. Your older brother sits comfortably at in his usual spot, the same magazine captivating him. He looks towards the stairs once he hears you coming down.

"Good to see you awake. Grab your gear, I have…" He sets the magazine down and scours his cluttered desk. "Your orders…"

"Orders?" You chuckle, walking past the desk and to the back. "Jeez, bro, you're so harsh."

"What can I say, cold-hearted demon slayer," he ends with a smirk.

"What does that make me?" You approach a table with a blanket covering equipment. You recognized the form of your weapon under it, thus Dante didn't have to point it out.

"That's up to you," he shrugs. "Anyway…"

You throw the blanket off the table to reveal your signature sword, Force Edge, a holster and…

"You actually gave me a gun?"

"I'm not just a gun, sonny!"

You leap back in fear, upon landing you fall onto your back. Dante shakes his head and sighs. "I'm going to pretend I didn't see that."

You lift back off the ground and point at the table. "Did that gun talk?"

"Yeah, I can't get it to shut up," he sneers.

"You're the one that took me in, wee boy of Sparda," the shotgun replies.

"And I'll throw you in a volcano if you keep pissing me off," he flicks his magazine. "I'm giving you the annoying shotgun."

"Why?"

"You need a gun and I don't want to deal with it. You like talking. You'll be fast friends."

You get off the ground and approach the table to examine the Devil Arm. Unlike Dante's secondary firearm, this gun has a much sleeker design, seeming smoother and more detailed. It's white handle glistens, the double barrel is detailed with a face just above it as if you're shoving shells into its mouth, and the barrel is designed with demonic engravings that are all too familiar.

"Heya, sonny. You're the small kid of Sparda, huh? I hear you're the most preferred."

"What?"

"Demons like you, at least compared to your brothers. Grumpy bastards, they are."

Dante rolls his shoulders and exhales out of his nose.

"I-I mean they're great!"

"You've oppressed him," you look over your shoulder.

"I did what I had to," your brother casually responds. "Anyway, I already had one pair of talking swords. I don't need an annoying gun too. He's yours."

You cross your arms and look back at the stationary, sentient firearm. "I guess… I'll take him."

"Good. It's about time you collect more Devil Arms instead of playing with mine."

"I'm not playing! I'm practicing!"

"What you do is not practice," Dante snickers. "But I'll humour you and say it is."

"At least I'm trying."

"Your brothers don't try."

"Nobody asked you!" Both Sons of Sparda reply to the captured demon.

You look back at each other, chuckling at your mirrored speech. "So, where am I going?"

"Someplace outside the city. A big demon is harassing the town and we – you – are going to stop it. Should be fun 'practice,'" he adds air quotes.

"I'm surprised a random town even knows how to contact you… or even pay."

"Yeah, well, they asked for the cheapest option so," he clicks his tongue. "They got you."

"Fair enough," you sigh. "Alright," you grab the holster and wrap it around your hips, tightening it to assure it's secure. You grab the demon and shove it in. "Perfect fit."

"I made it that way."

"Coulda given me more room to breathe," its muffled voice whines.

"Here's the location," Dante throws a card at you.

You swipe, miss, and get hit between the eyes. "Ow!" You stumble back, slowly pulling the paper out of your skin. Upon inspection, it's a map folded into a convenient size.

"You're hopeless… but maybe I'll treat you if you finish this mission quickly."

"Really?" Your smile grows wide at the thought of spending quality time with your brother. "Okay, I'll be back before you know it!"

You run out of the building, leaving Dante to his own devices. He shakes his head and sighs. "Still just a kid…"

Without missing a beat, the lights flicker off, the jukebox pauses, the fan slows to a crawl. Dante lowers the magazine to take in the now powerless position he's in. Without a word, he lifts the magazine back up and keeps reading.

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A brown cloaked individual saunters into a remote town, distant from the capital. From his experience, this is one of the most desolate towns he's come across. He knows it's not abandoned, the scent of humans is far too strong… but there's another scent hiding amongst them. He'll keep that in mind. The cloaked man uses the main dirt road, keeping an eye out for anyone still outside. He spots one – a woman standing near the opposite edge of the town. Her hands are intertwined before her as she stares out to the sky. The feeling of being watched causes her to turn around and see the mysterious man. She smiles back at him while turning to approach the newcomer.

She has bright blue eyes and long, silky black hair. Her figure is curvy, partly due to the clothing she's wearing. It's simple attire that anyone outside of Vale would be seen in. The only oddity is a pouch on her right hip.

"Hello," she greets with a volume loud enough for him to hear. "I was told I should be expecting a few people. Are you the white-haired one?"

He pauses at that question. She's not wrong, but he's certain that she's expecting a different person.

"Is it possible..?" He whispers. "No matter," he dismisses any thoughts of worry, no matter how small they were.

"Small town has a lot of action, lately. We…" The woman pauses for a moment at the feeling of the rumbling ground. "No, not again! Beowulf is here!" Her voice, to the man, is somewhat off. His focus can't be given to her as a large demon bursts through the trees and slams its fists down to shake the ground. It stands on both legs, claws taking place of feet, with four shining wings from its back. Its forearms also share a similar glow, but not as natural as the wings. It's red eye, the other seemingly missing, focuses on the hooded man.

"I smell it… the smell of betrayal!" It's voice growls, scaring all the fearful citizens in their homes. "Sparda's cursed kin! I'll rid this world of that scent!"

Beowulf leaps forward in an animalistic rage. The cloak suddenly starts faltering before Beowulf catches it. The Demon blows through the cloak, almost crushing the woman if she hadn't jumped to the side. As Beowulf slides to a halt, he feels someone standing on his head. A man, blue coat with gold accents, blue pants, tanned boots, slicked back white hair, and a katana resonating demonic power rests on the monster's head. He slowly sheathes the blade, exhaling.

"Too slow," Vergil states right before fully sheathing it.

Beowulf's head finally registers Vergil's hits. Almost a dozen slashes show themselves while its head falls apart. "Cursed… betrayer…"

The beast slowly dissipates into a small white glow. Vergil lands on the ground and looks up at the light. He knows what is coming and is admittedly interested in what such pathetic trash could offer. The glow attracts to Vergil and forms a set of gauntlets and leg guards. The power of the Devil Arm surges through Vergil's body, granting him the power of this demon.

"I see… an interesting development," Vergil forces the weapon to disappear, yet remain with him if needed. "From what I've read, he should be in the Temen-ni-gru… which means… "He turns towards the woman and exhales. "If you knew about it…"

"Vergil…" The woman slowly steps back. "I wa-"

In a flash, Yamato, Vergil's signature blade, pierces through the woman's chest. Her blood spills down her clothes and mouth. Her body shakes, opposite to Vergil's cold, uncaring eyes.

"Don't bother," Vergil's eyes drift down to the pouch on her hip. "Your life means nothing to me," he grabs the pouch and hitches it to his pants without taking the blade out. "These aren't meant for you, but a son of Sparda," Vergil returns the gaze. "Your sisters will be next," he pulls out his blade and slowly sheathes it, eyes closed.

The woman's body hits the ground the moment Vergil fully sheathes the blade. He looks around the town where people slowly begin to emerge from their houses only to see Vergil standing over a corpse. He doesn't care. If they report him to the authorities then they've sentenced someone to die. Besides, to Vergil, they all look weak and timid. At the thought of losing their life, they'll do nothing. They'll cower, stay away like the worthless humans that they are and allow Vergil to continue on his way. The same can't be said for the new arrivals.

A Bullhead soars in, doors open for four young women. Each member of team RWBY lands just outside the village, close enough to see the murder that's just taken place.

"Oh my god!" Weiss covers her mouth.

"Wasn't she the one we had to talk to?" Blake notes, keeping her eyes focused on Vergil.

"Which means this guy wants to get in our way?" Yang snickers as she activates her weapons. "Then let's take him down."

"We have no other choice," the leader shakes her head. "Team RWBY, let's go!" She points at Vergil.

The white-haired man chuckles. "You? Fight me? Don't make me laugh," Vergil keeps his guard down as he walks towards the girls. "Get out of my way, ants, you're nothing."

Yang tightens her fist before sprinting towards him. "Come on, let's beat him!" She jumps forward and readies a punch.

Vergil furrows his brow at the sight of a pathetic human trying to attack him. In a flash, faster than anyone in RWBY could see, Yang is sent flying back into the forest. The girls look back, all shocked at such speed.

"Did… you…"

"I didn't…" Blake slowly steps back. "How can…"

"Yang!" Ruby almost speeds into the forest but stops herself. Leaving her team behind would end worse than anything. She knows Yang. She'll be okay. "We have to attack together," Ruby stares down the uncaring Vergil.

"If you try to stop me, I will reduce you to ash," his voice cold, his movements precise.

"Don't underestimate Team RWBY!" Ruby declares.

The three dash towards the blue-coated man from three different directions. Vergil isn't bothered as he marches forward. As soon as their weapons are about to touch Vergil he suddenly burst forward, his blade slightly out of the sheath. As it falls in, the three girls' aura breaks while they're sent flying in their respective directions. All slam into walls, save Ruby who goes right into the air and falls back down.

Yang quickly runs out of the forest to see her teammates completely unconscious. Without a word, her eyes go red as anger spikes.

"YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUU!" Her gauntlets explode to propel her forward, eyes locked on Vergil as she readies a punch.

"Foolishness," he whispers.

Vergil grabs his blade and cuts right through Yang, completely eradicating her Aura. The pressure of the sudden attack completely knocks Yang out – her body soaring past Vergil and face planting by her teammates. Vergil turns around, hand still on his blade.

"I was going to abandon you to fate, but you've buzzed around me for too long," he slides his leg back and lowers himself. "Begone," his blade leaves his sheath for no more than a moment yet dozens of slashes appear in the vicinity of the girls. Right as the blade is put to rest once more, you land right in the middle of his attack, swinging Force Edge to deflect all of your brother's attacks… or, that's what you attempted to do.

You end up taking the full force of the attack as opposed to the girls, cutting through your limbs and body so you fall, demonic blood spewing on the ground.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow," you struggle to say on your knees. "Damn… they're no better than before," you inhale through your teeth and get to your feet. "But picking on girls? No better hobbies, Vergil?" You end with a smirk.

"Not bad, sonny, just like I told you," your firearm whispers.

"Yeah, pretty cool intro," you nod with confidence. "Nice one, Kaimira."

"Brother," Vergil stretches out the word as he stands ready. "It's been quite some time…"

"Half a year, yeah. I've missed your…" You rub the section of your arm that was momentarily severed by his attack. "Loving touch…"

"I can't say I've missed your buffoonery. Can you even wield father's blade without falling over?" He comes the closest to brotherly banter as he can.

"I can!" You declare, then look away. "I can now…" You whisper. "T-That's not the point!" You point at him. "You're killing innocents!"

"They're insects. You step on them all the time!"

"I try not to!"

"Really?" Kaimira chuckles.

"Shut up!" You look down at the gun. "What're you even doing here? You don't beat up girls for no reason."

"I would bother to explain but you wouldn't care. It involves Demons and, as I recall, you haven't even unlocked your Demon form."

"Tsk," you pout. "Why would I wanna look like a shark?"

"Childish…" Vergil shakes his head. "I'm sparing these girls what's to come. But if you really wish to defend them…" Vergil tightens his grip on Yamato. "Then why don't we have a… friendly bout."

"Pfft, there's no 'friendly,'" you quote. "Bouts with you, brother. But, if beating on me stops you from killing them then I guess I can accommodate."

"Caring for humans… it was always your weakness. You were always the softest."

"Maybe that's why people actually like me," you retort.

"Oh, that was a good one. And on your own, too!" Kaimira cheers. "But you should rethink this, sonny. That boy right there is one of the most feared beings among all Demons. You're… not so well regarded."

"Hey, I'm pretty tough!"

"Sturdy, yes, but threatening, far from it."

"Ah, whatever," you grab your shotgun and point it at Vergil, not trying to stylishly aim it else you'd probably drop it and kill the people you're trying to protect. "This time I'll be the winner, Vergil!" You fire the shotgun… yet the kickback is not what you expected. Your arm folds, smacking yourself in the face with your weapon. "OW, MOTHER-" You drop the fun and stumble back, holding your face with the free hand. "You coulda warned me about that!"

"I thought you knew!" It screams back.

"NO!"

"Watch your back!"

Vergil, completely blitzing you, slams his shin into your back to send you tumbling across the grassy field, losing grip of your weapon in the process. You grind to a halt before reaching the forest, now face first in dirt and weaponless. You shake your head and push off the ground.

"Yeah… about what I expected, but I have a secret weapon this time, Vergil!" You get up and spin on your heel, nearly falling over once more before slamming your other foot down to stabilize.

"No matter what trick you have up your sleeve, the outcome won't change between you and I."

"You could be a little more motivating," you pout.

"You dare speak to me about motivation!" Vergil steps forward. "You lack any sort of motivation! You nor Dante seek power as I do. You sit around, performing useless acts that scarcely aid you."

"I mean… they keep the power on… and feed us," you scratch your neck. "So, I am motivated to not die!"

"Yet power… you care nothing for power."

"That's not true! I wanna be just as strong as you and Dante!"

"And what steps have you taken to achieve that? Where has your motivation led you?"

You extend your hand and snap. "Right here! I've learned Trickster!"

"Hmph," Vergil shakes his head. "Dante's pathetic version of my move."

"Well here's my version!" You kneel down and seemingly teleport above your sword's location. At that moment, Vergil slashes towards your blade, but since he expected you to be directly at it he ends up missing. "Whoa, whoa!" You flail your hands for a moment before landing on your feet, surprisingly. "Okay, not exactly what I meant but," you clear your throat. "I mean, exactly what I intended to do!" You place your hands on your hips. "I knew you'd attack!"

"Hm…" Vergil sheathes Yamato and caresses his cheek. "Perhaps I've cheapened your motivation."

"Exactly!" You pick up your sword and point it at him. "Now, I'll show you how awesome I've really gotten, brother!"

You eye your shotgun, about three feet diagonal to Vergil. Either he hasn't noticed it or he doesn't care about it. The latter seems more accurate, in your mind. Seems you won't get to play with it after all, cause there's no way you're getting past him without getting beaten over there.

"Very well," Vergil attaches his blade to his belt and summons his newly acquired weapon, Beowulf. "I'll even go easy on you. I just got these, after all."

"Oh, new weapons… you know, I'm not good with adaptability so maybe-" Vergil uses his own style, Dark Slayer, to appear just above you with his feet positioned to attack. You barely manage to use Trickster to evade Vergil's mighty kick. The older brother hits the ground, recognizing he's missed, and immediately kneels and uppercuts into the air where you've now appeared. His gauntlet slams into your stomach, forcing saliva from your mouth. His attacks sends you even higher into the air, allowing him to use his style to teleport right behind you and spin like a wheel, his weaponized heel hitting your back dozens of times over before he finally pulls his fist back and sends both you and him back to the ground. A massive cloud of dust bursts upon impact; your body quickly bouncing out of it and towards the village.

"Man… another set of gauntlets and grieves?" You cough, slowly getting up by using Force Edge as a crutch. "I thought the two Dante had was all…"

"Sonny, come get me!" Kaimira shouts. "Come on, I don't wanna be crushed!"

"Yeah," you scurry over to your gun and quickly holster it, surprised that you managed it on the first try. "Hey, go me!"

As the smoke clears, Beowolf's light shines ever brighter. "I must say, I'm fond of this weapon… I had never bothered using more than Yamato. I never needed to."

"Yeah," you stand up straight, being the only thing between Vergil and the unconscious girls. "I must agree. I preferred the predictability."

"Adaptation is an important part of being a warrior. Though, it makes sense why you lack it."

"Did he just dis me? I thought Dante was the only one who did that!"

"Enough talk!" Vergil shouts before running towards you.

"Trickster!" You dash forward, tripping over your foot and falling on your face midway. "Damnit," you mutter as you hurriedly get back to your feet and try again, this time successfully closing in on your brother.

As you reappear, you grab your sword with both hands and swing horizontally. Vergil, as if you didn't put your back into it, casually slides to a halt and blocks it with his protected arm. That second of realization is followed by a straight jab to the face, making you stumble back. You attempt to swipe his feet, but he effortlessly flips over it, kicking you twice in the process. As he lands, he spins all the way around and launches rapid-fire kicks to your chest. You're unable to even react as the overwhelming pressure hits you over and over. He pulls his foot back once more and kicks with more power than before.

"Blast!"

The impact shatters the ground beneath you, making loose rocks and dirt your partner as you soar through the air and soon crash along the ground. Vergil examines his weapons, further impressed by his own abilities with them. You, on the other hand, barely manage to slam your sword into the ground to slow yourself. You huff and puff, allowing your body to near instantly regenerate the fatal damage Vergil inflicted.

"He's… not holding back much," you lean on your sword. "At least… he's not focused on the girls."

"I see that you're words are hollow," Vergil shouts as he approaches. "You haven't grown. You haven't changed. You surrendered your demonic power for what? Peace with the humans?"

"I like people, what can I say?" You struggle to smile.

"They're worthless, weak creatures that don't deserve the air they breathe."

"That's a bit much, don't ya think? Mom was a human too."

"And look what happened to her. Humans are frail… they don't deserve my attention."

"Tsk," you shake your head. "You were nicer when we were kids…"

"Then what humans do you care for?"

"Huh?" You meet his gaze once more. "There's Morrison… Patty… Lady…"

"Three? Is that all you can list?" Vergil laughs. Beowolf dissipates while he reaches for Yamato. "You barely know any. Your connections are superficial."

"At least I have them!"

"You pretend to have them," he counters. "I do not pretend. I don't need such wishes weighing me down," he appears behind you, uttering no more than a whisper. "Nothing… weighs down my motivation."

You barely even turn to attack when Yamato cuts right through your chest, staining the ground once again with demonic blood. The power behind his slash knocks you off your feet and back towards the village. Vergil, as if the ground was ice, slides across it in pursuit of you. Over and over he catches up and slashes you, tearing your clothes and cutting through your skin. You're completely unable to even retaliate, something even Kaimira can recognize. Vergil forces you all the way back to the village, choosing to kick you towards the center rather than use Yamato. Brotherly love is on clear display.

You tumble across the ground, your body slowly recovering from the absolute beating you've received. Each one of those attacks would've killed a normal person or even a demon. In a way, demonic blood is a blessing for you.

"I've decided… that this place has little meaning left," Vergil slides his foot back and grasps Yamato. "You all shall die…"

You look to Vergil, blood obscuring your view. You can feel all the scared people in this area… people Vergil's completely willing to just murder because you tempted him.

"No…" Your arms shake as you try to get to your feet. "Vergil… stop!"

"Stop?" The elder chuckles. "I will tell you what I told Dante, Might controls everything. And without strength, you cannot protect anything," he seemingly disappears, but you know this attack. He's cutting through everyone in this village like nothing… and once Yamato is sheathed… "Let alone yourself."

You can almost feel your heartbeat in your throat. Because of you, innocent humans are going to die. Sure, you don't know these people but they're humans who have families and lives that your brother is going to simply take away because YOU aren't strong. There's some logic to what your brother says. You don't have the strength to stop him. Not as you are… but despite that…

Vergil's instantly blown away by a sudden surge of demonic power, cancelling out his attack. Any civilians who were watching from outside their homes suffer the same fate. The eldest son of Sparda recovers easily and lands on the ground, looking to you as dormant demon power flows out. Just for a moment, you tapped into the power within all sons of Sparda. You stare at your brother with savage, killer intent.

"The power of a demon! You do carry it!" He says with a smile.

Before you can even move, your demonic form disappears and you fall forward. Vergil fixes himself and sheathes his blade.

"I suppose killing you now would be a waste. You proved you had power… some, at least. Perhaps proper motivation could cultivate that power," Vergil turns away from you and walks towards his cloak that's taken refuge on a porch. "Farewell, brother. For your sake, let's hope you refrain from getting in my way."

Vergil slowly saunters away from the village as if nothing had happened. You're down, RWBY is down, and the civilians are scared. Fear brings the Grimm, something they know but can't always prevent. Luckily… Blake's eyes start to flutter.

**I find myself wanting to do more DMC style than RWBY style. Like, little more action with a somewhat cheesy but decent story. Maybe that's just a cop out so I don't have to write a great narrative… shut up, I do what I want. But I also kinda wanna have more fun with it. Do some silly, sorta out of character jokes. I don't know. I have some omakes planned for after the story and I'm almost looking forward to those more. Also, my bad for taking so long on this. I'll try to not let that happen again.**

**I hope you're enjoying so far. It's fun to do some DMC since I love the series so much. Guess it's Genatools' fault for it all… I even did that one mini request for this so you can't bug me about not listening to people! Canadians are just thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat neat. Anyway, gotta write some other stuff. I have a new plan of attack when it comes to writing and I wanna test it out. We'll see how that goes. Hope you all enjoyed!**

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**Extra special thanks to Ride The Lightning and Nicholas X Wright!**

**And finally, thank you to the Beta Reader: thenameisntimportant**


	3. Chapter 2: Proof of Heritage

**Chapter 2: Proof of Heritage**

Blake's unsure what to do anymore. It's been an hour since your confrontation with Vergil. Her teammates are still unconscious, all put into beds thanks to the village. You're unconscious, tied to a tree nearby Blake's post. And finally, to make it all worse, the panic has caused a few waves of Grimm to attack periodically, which Blake has been watching out for and terminating. Though, it is difficult to focus thanks to your endlessly talking gun on the other side of the village, repeating the name (Y/N) over and over to the point that it's ingrained in the Faunus' mind.

You're experiencing something similar, but the voice is different. Your brother, Vergil… his voice repeats in your mind. It slowly gets louder and louder until your eyes finally open.

"Power, huh?" You sigh. "I really don't got much…" Your face is downcast from the realization. You know you lost, but what about the town. You look around, noticing movement in the windows. "Hey… is everyone oka- hey!" You look down at your body, tied against the tree. "What the… why?" You violently shake your legs as you try to break free.

Blake turns around, spotting you struggling. "Oh, you're awake," she scans the area quickly, checking for any incoming Grimm. "I have time…" She keeps her blade out as she approaches you, keeping a calm and somewhat intimidating demeanor. "You…" She kneels down and places her smaller blade against your throat. "Who are you? Why do you look like that other one?"

"The other… oh hey, you're one of those girls," you pause for a moment before squinting. "Huh… you have cool eyes."

"Nothing you say will get you free."

"Well that's mean," you frown. "But okay! I'll just… break… out," you struggle some more, but it's to no avail. Blake notices her blade actually cut into your throat while you move about, but the damaged skin repairs instantly."Man… Dante and Vergil would be out of here already… Wait," you perk up and look at the staring woman again. "Did you mean my brother?"

"Brother…" Blake rubs her chin. "Yes… that makes sense. You're acting nothing like him."

"Thank you," you smile. "Vergil is pretty… brooding… or, well, honestly mean is the best way to describe it."

"He almost killed us," Blake's voice trails off. "I thought he was going to, but…" She focuses on you once more, curiosity glimmering. "I was told you stepped in. Why?"

"So I could get tied to a tree," you chuckle, but she doesn't laugh. "Right… well, heh, my brother is pretty serious. I couldn't just watch as you all died. And, heh…" You think back on the weapon he used. "I think he killed the demon I came here for."

"A demon?" Blake raises her brow. "Like… from the books?"

"No, a de- right," you bite your tongue. "People don't know about demons…"

"I can hear you whisper," Blake squints.

"Oh, hehe," you sweat. "D-Don't worry about it. But! You should let me… actually," you raise your hand up as high as you can, just reaching over the bottom layer of the rope. "I'm (Y/N)! What's your name?"

Blake examines you for any deceit, but your eyes and smile seem purer than most. Almost reminds her of Ruby, in a way. She shakes your hand. "Blake."

"Well, Blake, it's great to meet you. I hope all your friends are okay. Could you please untie me… or at least move the blade away from my throat."

Blake thinks of your request. You've mentioned demons, you at least diverted a single man who completely overpowered her team, and your regeneration of that cut intrigued her. She isn't completely sure why, but there's something about you that's special. Blake pulls her blade away and stands up, now looking down on you. In a swift slash, she cuts the rope apart and frees you.

"Hey, thanks!" You hop up and stretch a little. "This is more like it. Do, uh, you know where my weapons are?"

"The big bland sword with a skull on the hilt and the gun that won't shut up?"

You nod. "Yeah, those sound right."

"Your gun is over there," Blake points across the way to the edge of the forest. "Your sword I kept indoors."

"Okay, cool. I'll grab my gun if you could get Force Edge for me?"

Blake cautiously walks away. "Very well…"

You and the girl split up. You jog over to your gun and pick it up.

"Oh finally! Took your sweet time ye did, wee Sparda boy."

"Don't blame me," you grab Kaimira off the ground and carefully place it in the holster. "Vergil beat the tar outta me. And…" You look down at your hands. "I don't know… something drained me in that last fight."

"Well, of course! You released an awful lot of demonic power!"

"I did?"

"Ye did! Impressive, I must say. But none seems to be left. Looks like you only let it out for a moment."

"Awwwwwwwwwwww," you whine. "Dante told me about that! When Vergil stabbed him with Rebellion," you turn around and start walking towards where Blake went. "He had this massive surge of demonic power that really gave him a boost. Definitely hit harder after that," you chuckle, remembering the sparring session you partook in.

You spot Blake outside of a house with your sword leaning against the stone. She's holding up a scroll and seems to be somewhat distressed.

"Yes, their Aura hasn't recovered yet," she speaks.

"And you're sure he called him Vergil?" A voice speaks from the scroll.

"Yes. Said that he's related to Vergil."

"I see…"

"Hey Blake!" You wave, running over.

"Is that him?" A man asks.

"Y-Yes."

"Please, allow him to hear me."

Blake clicks a button and holds it up. "(Y/N). Our Headmaster would like to speak with you."

"Ah, (Y/N)," the voice almost seems relieved. "Yes, yes, you're from Devil May Cry."

"Huh, yeah!" You stop before Blake and hold out a hand for your weapon, but she doesn't give it to you. "And who're you?"

"Headmaster Ozpin of Beacon Academy. My students were pursuing… special relics that my allies acquired. However, three members of team RWBY are still unconscious, and if your brother is pursuing those same relics then they must be recovered as swiftly as possible."

"Okay… oh!" You clear your throat. "Devil May Cry doesn't work for free," you say with a deeper voice.

"Of course not. I'll send the full payment there right away. A token of trust. Please, accompany Ms. Belladonna to the coordinates and recover the artifacts."

"Devil May Cry is on the case, sir," you salute. "Your items and student are safe in my hands."

"Are you sure, sir?" Blake holds in her hesitation.

"Of course. Keep reporting in on your location. When your teammates have recovered they will regroup with you."

"I… understand," Blake sighs. "We're on our way."

Blake shuts off the scroll and slides it into her pocket.

"We don't have much time. We should start moving towards the second location."

"Where's that?"  
"On the outskirts of Vacuo. We'll have to walk."

"Forests, mountains, and desert, huh?" You place your hands on your hips. "Why does Dante get all the easy jobs… well," you grab Force Edge off the wall and attach it to your back. "This'll be my first escort mission. Don't worry, you'll be safe with me. I'm pretty tough."

"But not skilled," Kaimira chimes in.

"That… isn't wrong," you sigh. "But still tough!" You continue to sell yourself. "I'm sure we'll make a great team."

"Right," Blake hesitantly says. "Well… this way," she fakes a smile before heading towards the proper path.

"Of course!" You quickly follow along with her. "So… do you have any family?"

"Parents."

"Oh, that's cool. Are they nice?"

"Yes."

"Do you live with them?"

"Not currently."

"So where do you live?"

"Beacon."

"Oh, that place by Vale? I live in Vale with my brother. Not the brother you met!" You quickly correct, waving your hands frantically. "Another brother. He's a lot kinder… well," you rub your chin. "I guess he's not the kindest ever but comparing him to Vergil…"

"Vergil… the one we fought."

"Oh, yeah," you nod. "He's… well, he's older than me. My brothers are twins. I kinda look a bit different. Just a bit," you hold out a miniscule amount of space between your index finger and thumb.

"Did… you all train somewhere?"

"Mm… no," you shake your head. "Well, not for my brothers. They just seem to be really good and always improve after every single one of their adventures. Me…" You nervously chuckle. "I'm not as talented as them."

"So you're the weakest."

"Well, I wouldn't-"

"Yes," Kaimira answers. "While the elder spawns of Sparda are feared, this one is seen more as an annoyance."

"Hey!" You shout. "You don't have to tell her that!"

Blake unconsciously laughs, but quickly dismisses it. "I'll keep it in mind. By the way," she looks down at your holster. "How is the gun talking? Is your friend on their scroll?"

"Uh…" You rub the back of your head. "Not… exactly…"

"Ye be lookin' at one of the most fearsome demons around, lassy!"

You barely hold in a laugh. "Yeah, you're pretty scary down there."

"I'll shoot you, wee Sparda!"

"A demon…" Blake looks ahead and contemplates the word while you and Kaimira begin arguing. She waves it off as just an exaggerated trait given by the individual. "Hm, there's no such thing."

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Across the forests and through the mountains, you and Blake now have a view of the desert from such a high vantage point. However, the broken moon has taken over the place of the sun while darkness sets on Remnant.

"We should probably get some sleep," you say before yawning. "We've been walking forever…"

"We need to keep going," Blake says, taking steps towards the make shift path.

"Hey," you grab her shoulder. "We need rest… and food. We can leave first thing in the morning."

Blake looks over her shoulder, a cold glare trying to put you down. You shutter for a moment, but you also know this is the right thing to do.

"You shouldn't push yourself, Blake. We all need to sleep, you know."

"Fine," Blake submits. "This area is flat and covered by the mountain," she points behind you. "It should work."

"Perfect," you smile, patting her shoulder. "You get ready. I'm gonna go find food and wood."

"What? That's all the way back there!" Blake contests.

"Hey, don't worry," you turn and head in the direction of the forest. "I'm really fast!"

You leap forward, soaring in the air before slowly falling. "Wait, wait, wait, rocks! I didn't go far enough!"

You land on rough rocks, knocking you off balance and causing you to tumble down the mountain. Blake hears every cry and every thud.

"Is he alive?" She looks over the edge.

"Ah," you stand up, knocking your broken arm and leg back into place. "That wasn't my greatest moment."

"Did he just… strange," she turns around.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

You and Blake sit closely to a fire, absorbing all the heat it will give off. Situated over the controlled flame is a deer you managed to find and capture. It wasn't the most gracious catching of prey, but you eventually managed it… after an hour.

You grab another piece of meat and start digging in.

"You know, it's a good thing you know how to do this. I don't really know how to make a fire."

"Have you ever lived in the wilderness?"

"Mm… nope," you shake your head. "I was kind of a city boy, I guess."

"I see," Blake pats off her mouth. "Well, you can have the rest. I'm going to sleep."

"Oh… okay."

"You still have me to talk to, Son of Sparda"

"Oh, true," you happily say while taking a bite. "So, what did you look like before you got gunnified?"

"That's not even a real word!" He shouts. "And if we're gonna talk ye could at least take me out of this horrid prison!"

"Sure," you grab the gun and place it at your feet, closer to the fire. "Can… can you feel the warmth?"

"It's very nice."

"Hehe, that's cool," you smile.

"Ah, but my prime. It was amazing, laddie. I ruled an entire section of the demon realm. My name sent shivers down other demon's spines!"

"Until my brother beat you?"

"I… well, pfft, I… yes. Until your brother beat me."

"He tends to do that," you nod. "I haven't actually beaten a big demon before," you look up at the moon. "I really wish I could… but I just never get the chance… and I honestly don't even know if I could."

"You're… a boy of Sparda. You have great power."

"Heh, yeah," you snicker. "I'm a great punching bag. I couldn't even get Trickster down right… that's the easiest one…" You let your head fall. "And my form for Royal Guard is so sloppy."

"I don't know what to tell you, boy."

You look at the gun and smile. "You don't have to say anything. I'm just kinda rambling," you gulp down the last of your food and stand up. "Well, I might as well get some training in before I go to sleep. You want to come with me?"

"I'll stay here. Better warm," Kaimira responds.

"Alrighty! Now," you look around. "Where another clearing I can practice?" You jump over a ledge and leave the camp behind.

Blake, who's been attempting to sleep, rolls over. She definitely can say that you're speaking about things beyond her scope… for now.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

You pant, standing atop the mountain with the moonlight shining over you. You've been attempting to land your Trickster movement properly, but every time you either overshoot it or undershoot it.

"Well… that's why I practice," you shake your head and get back into position, looking at Force Edge that's planted in the ground to simulate a target. "Maybe one day I'll make a style of my own!" You seemingly disappear and reappear horizontally over your blade. You fall, slamming your head on the guard and landing beside it. "Ooooooow!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

With the sun warming the people of Remnant, Blake is awoken to this pleasant sensation. She slowly raises herself off the heated stone and stretches. She examines her area, noting that there's still leftover food, the fire is out, and you're resting not far away. She notices you sleeping a short distance away. You're not sweating, despite the layers of clothing on you. She does find herself fond of your hair, at least when looking at it. The messy white hair falling along your face and resting on the stone… it's a pleasant sight. Though, that white hair gives her a quick flashback of Vergil cutting through her team like nothing.

"Good morning, lassy," Kaimira speaks atop the log he was placed on.

Blake is pulled out of her mind, but she doesn't bother answering.

"How rude!" The gun screams.

"Rude?" You say in a sleepy daze. "Come on... I left some," you lift off the stone and yawn. "Oh, hey Blake. Sleep well?"

"I'm ready to go."

"We haven't eaten," you approach what's left of your food. "Let's refill then head out. You said we'd reach it by midday," you tear off some meat and start eating.

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"Are we almost there?" You ask, trailing behind Blake as you traverse the hot, dry desert.

"I believe so," the woman checks her scroll. "The coordinates are pointing not far ahead."

"Man," you wipe your forehead. "It's so hot."

"Look at what you're wearing," she remarks.

"It's... my outfit," you pout. "WHOA!" A massive wave of sand whips through the air, distorting your view. "Blake!" You grab onto her shoulder.

"It's... a strong wind..." She struggles to move forward. "Where did this come from?"

You push ahead, sliding your hand down Blake's arm and grab her hand.

"H-Hey!"

"We can't get seperated. Come on!" You manage to keep walking, keeping Blake with you. "Just straight ahead, right?"

"Yeah!"

Another voice echoes through the wind.

"Sparda..."

You pause, looking around for any signs of demons.

"You heard that?"

"Yeah," Kaimira replies. "There's a powerful demon in this desert."

"That's what called your name? A demon?" Blake shouts.

"I'll... I'll explain later! Come on!"

You pick up the pace, making quick work of the sudden sandstorm. Soon enough, you make it to a collection of small town. All the doors and windows are closed, any rope or loose material is flapping in the wind. You kneel down beside a building and hold Blake close.

"Why do you keep."

"Sorry," you look down at her while chuckling. "I'll let you go when the storm is gone."

Blake avoids eye contact with you, showing utter uncomfortability with being so close to a stranger. But, given the intense circumstances, she doesn't struggle.

It takes some time for the storm to pass, but it does. You and Blake stand up, the girl quickly stepping away to get her own space. The town soon begins to wake up, windows opening, people exiting their homes. You place your arms on your hips and smile.

"Looks like they're used to this kind of thing."

Blake keeps her eyes out for their contact. She remembers Oxpin saying they're sisters, so it's likely she'll look similar to the body they say back in the last village. To Blake's luck, she spots a woman with long black hair, blue eyes, slim figure. The woman leaves her house and lays eyes on you immediately. Blake notices she hesitates for a moment, almost like she's surprised or afraid.

Blake takes the initiative to approach her.

"Hey, wait up!" You quickly follow the student.

The woman drifts her eyes to Blake, recognizing her as the Beacon student she's supposed to meet. She calms down a bit, putting a smile on to greet you.

"Hello! Welcome to our village."

"We're here to pick up an artifact."

"Mhm," you nod, attempting to be interactive.

"Well," the woman smiles at you both. "I don't... have it. I just know where it is."

"Oh, that's easy," you wave off. "Where is it?"

"Well, it's a good thing you're here," she focuses on you. "It's being guarded by a... well, a powerful demon is protecting it."

"Again, demon," Blake says with frustration. "You all speak so casually! Demons don't exist!"

"Heh," you pat Blake's shoulder. "They do, Blake. Trust me. Welp," you roll your shoulders. "I was hired for a reason. You stay here, Blake. I'll handle the demon."

"What? Why would you go alone?" Blake shows concern.

"It's what I do. Where is the demon? And, if you know, what kind is it?"

"A powerful demon called Balrog."

"That bastard is here?" Kaimira speaks up. "Boy Sparda, you have to be careful!"

"I'll keep that in mind," you pat your holster.

"It's there," she points west. "And it has followers."

"Will I know the thing when I see it?" You raise a brow.

"Likely," she nods.

"Alright," you start walking. "Stay here, Blake. I don't think you're up to fighting demons."

You start running in the pointed direction. You don't really know how to get into the mindset of battle like your brothers, but at least you know you're going up against a bigger demon.

"So, Kaimira, tell me about this Balrog guy."

"A very powerful fire demon, Sparda boy. A strange one, truly. Honourable fellow."

"Really? Honourable?"

"Yes. I don't think he'll try to ambush you."

"Well, that's a positive. I'm not very adaptable. Anything else?"

The sand whips around you as the wind picks up. Unknown to you, this pushes back the Huntress-in-Training following you. Blake couldn't just let you go on your own. She isn't some weakling. Besides, if these demons you speak of are real then she wants to see them.

"Sparda…" The words echo through the wind. "I'm waiting for you, Son of Sparda."

"Well, at least there's that," you slide to a halt. "Show yourself, Balrog! Give me the… thing. Relic… damnit," you whisper to yourself. "I don't know what it is."

The sand suddenly stops, a calm only lasting for mere seconds before a massive fire tornado erupts before you.

"Gah, hot," you jump back. "Really, really hot!"

The tornado clears, but the fire persists. Not only is there a large demon before you, but small flying fire demons, more animalistic ones, and bipedal demons all stand behind Balrog. The big demon, standing over three stories tall, is constantly wreathed in flames. It stands on two legs, being mostly a dark grey tone with talon-like toes and sharp fingers. Horns detail his shoulders and knees. His sharp yellow eyes look down on you, but not with the usual contempt you recieve from demons.

"Son of Sparda… the black sheep of the family," his deep voice booms, shaking some of the sand on the ground.

"Well that's not very nice," you frown. "I prefer to call myself the nice one. Or… come on, quips, quips…" You desperately try to come up with something. "Well, at least I'm not the hot one of the family!" You say with pride. "Wait… damnit."

"Are you serious?" Blake says, hiding behind a group of rocks not too far away. "What are those things? And how is he so calm?"

"You come for the relic?"

"Yeah!" You point at him and smile. "So… can I have it?"

"No."

"Of course," you slouch. "Well, I guess that means I have to fight you for it!"

"That's not wise, Sparda boy," Kaimira advises.

"Kaimira, is that you?" Balrog leans down. "You were defeated by this wretch?"

"Of course not! It was the older one, Dante."

"What do you mean, 'of course not'? I could beat… whatever you were."

"I highly doubt that."

"Enough!" Balrog shouts. "I wish to test my mettle against one of Sparda's kin. If it must be the weakest one, so be it."

"Not even sugar coating it," you roll your eyes. "Alright, Balrog," you grab your sword and swing it around your body and to your side… but you lose grip and impale it in the ground beside you.

"Crap," you slide over and pull out the sword. "Alright, Balrog, then let's get it going!" You grab Kaimira and aim it at the demon.

"He's actually going to fight that thing?" Blake readies her weapon. "I can't just let him-"

"This party's getting whacky!" You shout before firing at Balrog, who raises his arm to block the projectiles, then throws a punch where you are.

The kickback of the gun knocks you over. Your head slams against the ground, but the sand somewhat lightens the impact.

"Gah… what was that?"

"I'm using more power!" The gun responds.

"You can control that?"

"Focus!"

Because you're on the ground, Balrog's fist passes over you. The flames spouting from his arms, however, nearly get you.

"Hey, hehe, that's lucky."

With another shot from Kaimira, you push yourself to the right and get out from under his arm.

"And you said I can't adapt!" You brag while stumbling to your feet.

"You said that!" The gun yells back.

You sprint towards the demon with a tunnel vision that prevents you from noticing that the arm you dodged is now sweeping in your direction.

"Trickster!" You shout before teleporting a few centimeters off the ground. "Eh?"

Balrog's fist slams you across the desert, making you bounce off the heated sand below. He throws his hand towards you, sending a twister of flames from his arm to follow. You roll to stop and slowly push off the ground, totally unaware of the flames coming.

"Jeez, that hurt. Why did my- aibduhjbsdjh," the flames overwhelm your body.

"(Y/N)! Blake runs out from behind the rocks, getting the attention of all the demons. The girl freezes in place with all the tension facing her right now. She's long since been desensitized to Grimm, but these new enemies and the heat they're giving off. It paralyzes the Faunus.

Without orders or hesitation, the small demons rush after the frozen Faunus. They slash into the body, imaling deep in various locations… but it's not Blake's body. Blake is on the ground, looking up at you with shock. The blood dripping down the blades and your clothes is horrifying. You're not shaking. You're not panting. Your body isn't even reacting like it's been stabbed multiple times.

"Blake…" You look over your shoulder fairly casually. "I told you to stay back, silly."

You move your left hand over to grab the handle with both hands and cut through the four demons before you.

"Two hands was a good idea. I still almost lost it," you chuckle. "Balrog, tell your demons to leave her alone. This is you and me, right?"

"Hmph," Balrog's heavy steps shakes the ground. "Very well."

"Glad that's sorted."

"You're…" Blake sees the holes are no longer there once you pull the blades out. "What… are you?"

"Heh," you look back at her, eyes closed and smile wide. "I'm (Y/N)."

You turn back to Balrog and charge forward, Force Edge in hand.

"Quite a tenacious one. But that's nothing in comparison to my fire!" Balrog spawns various pits of fire in your path.

One bursts right in front of you, the sudden spout surprising you so you fall on your butt. You look down to see more fire swirling below.

"Crap, crap, crap, crap!" You scurry to your feet and just manage to get out of the way.

"Not even a spawn of Sparda can withstand my fire!" Balrog boasts.

"Maybe you should try hitting me instead of throwing flames at me!"

"Very well!"

The massive demon begins running towards you, the imposing figure darkening out the sun.

"Hehe… I regret that…"

"Move!" Kamira commands.

"Y-Yeah!"

You turn around and jump forward, avoiding Balrog's slamming attack. The massive demon starts chasing you, slamming his fist down one after another to try and crush you. Thanks to your tripping and erratic movements, Balrog isn't able to hit you swiftly. But each attack gets closer.

"Crap, he's gonna get me!" Your face becomes stoic. "Time to be cool."

"Now's not the time!"

You start to spin around, spotting Balrog's fist swirling in flames and coming grab Force Edge with both hands, planning on parrying his fist. You use the momentum of the spin to strengthen your swing. It connects with Balrog fist, but your strength is nothing in comparison to his. You're hit with the full force of his fist, burying you into the sand. Balrog pulls his fist back only to thrust his other onto onto you. He repeats this over and over, his natural flames becoming larger and hotter, mostly around his shoulders, fists, and feet. He finishes by crushing you with both fists, then releases all that built up fire directly onto you. A fire unparalleled erupts from those fists, swirling through the air and making it hard for the Faunus to breathe.

Blake is unable to even watch anymore. You're just being beaten down by this monster. But you seemed so confident… why? Everything she's seen is you being incompetent.

But that thought process is cut short when your sword soars out of the flames. It's going in Balrog's direction, but it's way too high. You suddenly appear above Balrog.

"Hehe, it was either undershooting or over shoot- gah!" Force Edge pierces through your back and out chest. "Ah, man," you grab the blade and try to push it out your back. "I thought I had a cool plan…"

Balrog looks up and sees you with a sword through your body.

"I hit you with all that fire… and you're still like this?"

You release the blade from your body and turn around to grab it, but your hand merely hits the blade so it spins all around and cuts through your stomach. This tomfoolery results in you and the sword falling to the ground. You get to your feet with your sword in hand.

"Okay… that plan didn't work… I can't brute force him, I can't trick him," you list off. "What do you think.

"I don't know how you're alive, wee one," the Devil Arm reples.

"Haha, I know, right?" You say with a relief. "Thank goodness for my demon blood. Makes up for my bad battle sense."

You roll your sword arm. "Okay… let's try again," you spin around and throw Force Edge at Balrog's chest.

His followers are actually surprised at how passive Balrog is now being. He's letting you recover and attack again. He was clearly more offensive beforehand. It's not like he used all his power in that one attack, so it's curious why he's now more passive.

You pull Kaimira out of the holster and use Trickster to reach your sword. At this point, you know you're not going to appear exactly where you want, which is why you're banking on that. You appear diagonally - ahead and below - to the sword, which is workable for you. With a hardy jump, you reach for your sword, which you just miss as it passes you.

"Come on, (YN)!" You aim the gun behind you and fire, springing yourself forward to chase the sword. You reach out and grab the sword, seeing Balrog ready himself for whatever attack you have planned.

Admittedly, you don't have anything special planned. Just a bait and switch. Attack from the from, then appear somewhere else and attack. It's all you can do right now. So, when you spin around and attempt to teleport elsewhere… you don't.

"Huh?" You look down at yourself. "Hey! Where's my sword?"

Force Edge drops down with intense speeds, piercing Balrog's neck while he was distracted by you. The demon falters, thus he doesn't stop your approach. But without your sword, you don't have anything to attack with. You maniacally scream until you slam into the demon;s shoulder. and start sliding down. You frantically attempt to grab hold of him so you don't fall, thus you accidentally grab your blade and pull down, cutting through the demon from the neck down to his chest.. A wave of fire knocks you and your weapon back, both rolling across the sand while Balrog suffers from this intense attack.

"You… you tricked me," Balrog falls to one knee, holding his wound. "I… believed you a fool. But it's a ruse, isn't it? To lower my guard and you to finish me."

You cough as you stand up, a little disoriented from everything that just happened.

"I what?" You wave the dust out from your face.

"Son of Sparda… you… are worthy. "

"I am?" You say through your cough.

"I will accompany you on your journey… and fight again when I'm stronger."

"You're what?"

Balrog starts glowing and morphing into a small ball before shooting towards you. Upon contact, a set of grieves, gloves, and shoulder pads modeled after the demon take form on your body.

"My power… is yours…"

"Whoa…" You look at your new weapons.

"You… you beat Balrog?" Kaimira questions, not even believing the words he's saying.

"Ha… haha…" Your smile grows wide as your laugh gets louder. "Ha… HAHAHAHA! YEAH! I DID IT!" You scream to the heavens. "I GOT MY OWN DEVIL ARM! ALL BY MYSELF! OH YEAH! POTLUCK, BABY!" You turn to Balrog's demonic followers, all now fearful. "You see that? I did that!"

"Run! He beat Balrog!" All the demons flee in blazes of fire.

Blake is still awestruck at the fact that you survived all those attacks, and now that you've actually beaten that monstrous being. You run back to Blake, a rush of confidence running through your half breed blood.

"Blake! Check it out!" You show off Balrog. "I did it! I beat him! Haha… I've never done that. I always lose!"

"You…" Blake can't muster up the words.

"Haha… aaaaaah," you turn around, hands on your hips. "Well, we should find this relic thingy. She said we'd know it when we see it."

You look down at your new weapon and focus for a moment. It dissipates into fire, but does not leave you. You can feel the connection to that weapon, the ability to summon it when necessary. This is your weapon. The first one you've ever earned.

"Oh man, Dante is gonna be so proud of me. I'm getting us money, I'm getting new Devil Arms."

"I must say, that was very lucky, boy," Kaimira chimes in.

"I know, right?" You laugh. "I thought I was a goner."

You keep your eyes open for anything abnormal in the desert. Something shiny catches your eye, buried in the sand. You jog over and brush it off, finding a small octogonal base with a red jewel.

"I… guess this is it. We should go ask to make sure!" You look over your shoulder at Blake. "Let's head back, alright?" You run towards her.

"Right…" Blake says with little energy before following you back to the village.

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"This is it, yes," the woman examines the artifact. "Good job. You managed to beat the demon?"

"Yep!" You cheerily answer. "It was awesome! I think I kinda get why Dante enjoys it. Though he's a lot more stylish…" You say, but your confidence isn't going down.

"I arranged a transport to take you from Vacuo to Atlas. Please, make your way there as soon as you're fit to travel."

"Cool. Blake," you turn to her. "We should get some water and food before we go. I think we can make it before the sun goes down."

"If… you think so."

"Are you okay?" You kneel down a bit to look her in the eye. "You seem… less cold and more absent."

"I'm fine. Let's just get what we need and go."

You're well aware she's not okay. You're not dumb. Sure, you're not the greatest fighter but your people skills are definitely up there. But, it's best not to pry. You don't know Blake, so you have no reason to delve into her life. However, if she remains this way you may press just a bit. You don't want her too distracted.

But for now, you need to prepare for your journey. You need to collect the last two relics, and find some way to get the last one from Vergil. Even with your new Devil Arm, you know you have absolutely no chance against your elder brother. But that's later. Right now, you're on a roll and there's no reason to stop. Next target: Atlas.

**Yeah, I know, it's been a while since I last updated this story. Don't worry, I'm going to be finishing this story! I'm sticking here until it's completed. Three more chapters, not too long, but a lot of fun to write. I'm really happy about the plans I have for this character, even if it is just a short story. I could do more if it was longer… but whatever. This is more than enough. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and stick around for the rest! I'm sure you'll enjoy it!**

**Anyway, I'll see you guys soon! The next chapter shouldn't take too long!**

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	4. Chapter 3: To Your Grave

**Chapter 3: To Your Grave**

It took you and Blake a few days to travel across the desert and arrive in Vacuo. Considering how sand-ridden your clothes were, you're happy you didn't have to stay there for long. Now you and Blake travel in a civilian airship, commonly used by tourists or businessmen. Thanks to the tickets provided to you, you're not in a general room with windows, watching the landscape as they travel. You two get your own private room with beds, a couch, fridge, and television.

Blake is the only one in the room right now, contemplating everything that happened prior. You fought some giant fire monster, that you claim to be a demon, and somehow survived. You were stabbed, beaten, set ablaze, and it all seemed like a minor inconvenience to you. It wasn't Aura. You had nothing protecting you, at least that she could see. So what's your secret? Some ridiculous healing Semblance? Does someone really have a Semblance that makes you immortal? Is that even possible? But, if that's true, why are you so terrible? Even Blake can tell that you accidentally won that battle. Every intentional attack you tried ended in failure. You don't even have a proper battle sense… so how is it you managed to win? Or even survive before? Are you completely reliant on your healing?

Before she can continue down this track, you open the door with two massive plates of food.

"I didn't really know what you liked, so I just kinda grabbed the biggest plate and threw everything on there," you chuckle, then set down Blake's plate on the center table.

"Oh… thanks."

You take a seat with your own plate of food. "I asked one of the crew members how long it would take to get to Atlas. It's a slow ship, so we'll be traveling till late tomorrow."

"Okay…" Blake merely pushes the food around the plate without attempting to eat any.

"Huh… are you okay?" You throw caution to the side, not wanting her to feel down for the entire trip.

The silence is nearly as tense as Vergil's gaze, that pressure scares Blake… or maybe you're the one that scares her now.

"I'm fine," Blake gets up and leaves the room.

Your eyes drift to the floor and you sigh. "Darn… I guess she's still a little shaken. I should give her more time," you grab another bite of food, though the new tone of the room ruins your enjoyment. "Aw man," you pout, then lay back on the couch and exhale. "I… this is going to be awkward if I don't address this. We're stuck on this ship for a day, after all."

"You can do it, boy!" The gun shouts from your bed.

"Right," you hop off the couch and head for the door. You stop right as your hand touches the metal, looking back at the food. "I guess I'll just have to get more later."

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"Ah, why did I do that?" Blake smacks her head. "I made it so awkward… so weird!" The Faunus paces along outside of the ship, in the rest area. "I just… this is all so weird. I wish Yang was here… or Ruby or Weiss. I'm so… I don't know what to do here," Blake crosses her arms and looks out into the sky. "I should've been nicer… he saved me… even with my friends, I doubt we would've been able to beat that thing. But I just don't understand it. I should just ask," Blake's determination kicks in. "He doesn't deserve this."

The girl turns around and spots two people, a man and woman, conversing about the sight they're about to feast upon. Blake, with a purpose, heads for the door. As soon as she passes beside the man, she hears a whisper.

"You have the scent of Sparda on you."

Blake horrifyingly turns her head towards the man. His once normal appearance has transformed into a deformed creature with a meat-like texture all around its body. The eyes, or what she thinks are the eyes, are drooping and hanging around the drooling mouth. A fleshy tendril wraps around Blake's neck, flinging her up in the air only to slam her down on the hull of the ship. The girl is completely helpless as she's dragged across the metal until being lifted off the ground and into the air before the two demons. Blake's fighting spirit is completely destroyed upon looking at these abominations.

"She knows… she knows…"

"Sparda… where is he?"

The slurred voices shake Blake to the core. The woman merely shakes her legs to try and touch the floor again while less and less oxygen flows into her lungs.

"Is she here?" You open the door and witness what's happening to Blake. "Blake? You're- wait!"

"Sparda!" They turn to you and throw the woman across the hull.

Blake rolls to a stop, thankfully not falling off the ship. You go to grab Force Edge but there's nothing there. You left it in the room.

"Well, how about- wah!" Two meaty tendrils grab both legs and pull you towards them. They hang you before each of them, watching you dangle upside down.

"Sparda… you're the weak spawn."

"_Use me."_

"Wha?"

"_Use me. Ignite me!"_

"Oh, right," you smirk at them. "Potluck. Time to bring some heat!" Balrog suddenly spawns on you and ignites. With their hands wrapped around the boot, they're caught ablaze by the Devil Arm.

The demons scream and drop you, allowing you carefully get to your feet.

"Alright, demons! I'm a Son of Sparda, slayer of demons, and I bested Balrog!" You spin around, almost falling over, but you steady yourself. "And now, you better run away before I do the big punch! You think you can handle the heat?"

"A mix of stupidity and intimidation. I underestimated you," Balrog speaks aloud.

"Heh, right?" You whisper back. "I can be pretty cool," you get into a fighting stance reminiscent of Vergil's.

"We'll take your power! For our new lord!" The demon shouts, slithering towards you in an inhuman fashion.

_Okay, (Y/N), I can't mess up this time,_

You think about how Vergil fought, all the moves he did. You pull your arm back, the flames swirling around your fist.

"Now," Balrog shouts.

You throw your fist up, the intense flaming blow connecting with the demon's face to completely blow it off. You follow the momentum, now in the air.

"Holy crap! That was awesome!" You focus on the next demon and use Trickster to appear, to your surprise, directly in front of it. "Oh, hey!" You start throwing your right fist at the demon over and over, increasing the blaze around you. You follow up with a left punch, knocking the demon that way. In a rage, it swings and knocks you backwards. Your feet, also flaming, end up slamming into the demon's stomach and exploding with the built up fire.

You get back on your feet, ready to fight, but the demon disintegrates. "Oh… I mean," you wipe your nose and smile. "I meant to do that. Oh," you quickly scan the area. "Blake!" You run over to her while she's slowly getting to her feet, shaking the entire time. "Are you okay? You're…" You shake your head, deciding to just directly help her. You move under her arm and lift her up. "Come on, let's get you back to the room."

"Y-Yeah…"

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You wrap Blake around in a blanket and hold two cups out for her. "Coffee? Tea?"

"Tea."

You hand her the left cup while setting the other one down.

"Demons on here, eh?" Kaimira speaks. "They're really after you, Sparda boy."

"More than normal, honestly," you take a seat. "Usually they avoid me."

"I still can't believe it… demons…"

"Oh, yeah," you give her a comforting smile. "It was surprising to me when I first figured it out too."

"You're a demon yourself. You didn't know?" The gun asks.

"I didn't know for a while," you stretch your arms. "I'm not like my brothers."

"You're… a demon?" Blake shakily asks.

"Oh… crap," you scold yourself under your breath. "Well, not exactly. Sparda, the guy you hear about," Blake nods, following along. "Well, he was some super strong demon who cut off the Demon World from this one. He was also my dad. It's the reason I'm still alive, honestly," you rub the back of your head and laugh. "It lets me heal a ton."

"That's how you do it… it's not a Semblance."

"Oh, no. I think my demon blood prevents me from that Aura stuff. I mean, I can't prove it, but neither of my brothers have it either, so," you shrug. "Look, I can see you're not used to this side of it all. Huntsmen and Huntresses tend to deal with Grimm only. But… you don't have to be scared of me," you lightly place your hand on hers. "I'm really not like any of them. Honestly, I'm the least demonic half-breed, I think."

Blake stops shaking when your hand rests on hers. She's so overwhelmed by this revelation, but somehow she trusts you. You aren't scary, you act like a kind individual, and you've fought off demons on multiple occasions. You've even saved her life three times now.

"I… I get it. I'm sorry… I just don't know how to handle this. Are… these demons going to be everywhere we go?"

"I don't know," you say in a happier tone. "Maybe… whatever these objects we're looking for are, they have significance to demons. Vergil wouldn't be searching for them if not. I just hope we don't run into him again," you chuckle. "I really can't beat my brothers. Even Dante has a hard time with Vergil."

"He's the strongest?"

"Probably, yeah," you laugh again. "But he's not so bad... we may get into fights a lot, and my brothers definitely don't get along often, but even Vergil cares."

"Didn't he try to kill you?"

"Ha, kinda. You know, he saved me once. That's when I first figured out I had demonic blood."

"What happened?" Blake inquires.

"That… should be for another time. You should rest up," you stand up and stretch. "I'm gonna get more food. This is cold," you grab the plates and let the food fall into the garbage. "We'll get to Atlas in no time."

"But-"

"Get some sleep, Blake. You're shaking, you're scared. You need to relax a bit," you walk over and pat her shoulder.

"Don't worry, lassy. He's a baby demon hunter."

"Exact...ly…" You frown at the gun. "I'll remember this."

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"General Ironwood, sir," Winter Schnee stands at attention before the General's seat. "I have a report."

"Go ahead, Winter."

"Our system reports that the Beacon student, Blake Belladonna, and a man accompanying her, (Y/N) Redgrave."

"Redgrave, huh?" Ironwood shakes his head. "That city…"

"However, sir, you asked us to keep an eye out on any white haired men."

"Yes?"

"Well, (Y/N) Redgrave fits that description, along with an unknown who was spotted in Mantel."

"Was he in blue?"

"We… don't know, sir," Winter remains at attention. "He was wearing a cloak."

"I see… alert all soldiers in Mantel and keep our security tight here in Atlas. Redgrave and Belladonna are welcome. I wish to see them when they arrive. The other one… Vergil… we must keep him away."

"Yes, sir!"

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"Hey, Blake," you lightly shake her. "We're approaching Atlas!"

The Faunus' eyes slowly flutter open. "We… are?"

"Yeah. I already showered so you're free to freshen up! They said we'll be docking in half an hour. I'll grab all my stuff," you start by sliding Kaimira into your holster. "And meet you at the observation deck!"

"Okay," Blake rubs her eyes and gets on her feet.

You grab Force Edge off the wall and attach it to your back. You watch Blake saunter into the bathroom, thus giving you no reason to remain here. You leave the room and walk down the hall, passing by some others who're spending their remaining time chatting with friends or loved ones. You keep going to the general area where there's some snack bars, drinks, and plenty of room for casual conversation. You approach the window, noticing a few Atlas soldiers following you with their eyes.

_I guess I do have a sword and gun. I stand out._

You brush it off and look out towards the sky. Your mind drifts to thinking about your family, about Vergil and Dante. Talking to Blake about it has sparked those memories of you meeting your brothers at the age of 16. You want to remember earlier, but it's hard. Unlike your brothers, you don't really remember your mother. You don't even remember the attack on your house. The demons destroyed your home and everything around it. They were looking for your family… but you weren't there. You were in Vale for a sleepover and never ended up leaving. You were too young to understand, being four years old at the time. You eventually forgot about your brothers and lived life like a regular human. All of that changed when the demons attacked.

"(Y/N)."

"Gah," you flinch, looking back at a freshened up Blake. "Oh, hey, you changed."

Blake looks down at her new outfit - white shirt, black bands wrapped around her forearms, similarly black pants and boots. "Yeah… I've worn it before. Yang called it my "Intruder" outfit."

"Intruder? Why?"

"I'm not really sure," the girl giggles. "But I don't mind it."

"Looks… not great for Atlas," you look down at her exposed midriff. "But it looks good!"

"Atlas has artificial heat. I'll be fine," Blake smiles at you. "And… well, thank you."

"You seem a lot happier!"

"I definitely needed some rest. I… also think I feel a lot safer around you."

"Really? Huh," you scratch your head. "Never heard that one before."

"I also want to apologize," she shifts to a more serious tone. "I was very distant and cold towards you, and all you've done is be nice and help me."

"Hey, don't worry about it," you wave off. "I was just some rando. I don't blame you for not trusting me. But we'll work together from here on out and get these relics, right?"

Blake is set at ease by your forgiveness. She shouldn't have expected any different, when reflecting. You've just been a big dork this entire time… and been really nice to her as well.

"Right," she nods with a smile.

"There we go," you point at her face. "Keep the smile up. It's contagious."

"_We'll be arriving in Atlas in five minutes. If you're still in your room, please-"_

"Alright, cool," you say, looking up at the intercom. "Where are we supposed to find this person?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

You and Blake are the first off the ship, to your surprise. The soldiers didn't search you like they did the others. In fact, it made you laugh when you walked right past them only for the subsequent people to be stopped and searched. You and Blake get off the ramp and are immediately met by a small platoon of Atlas soldiers, human and robot, with a white haired woman standing before them.

"Blake Belladonna, (Y/N) Redgrave?"

"Winter?" Blake whispers.

"Winter?" You lean closer.

"She's my teammate's sister."

"Oh… this doesn't feel very welcoming," your eyes glaze across the soldiers with guns.

"General Ironwood has requested you meet him immediately. I'm here to escort you."

"Huh, well that's nice of him," you step forward. "Is that who you were supposed to meet?" You look over your shoulder at the girl.

"No," Blake shakes her head. "But the General is a friend of Professor Ozpin, so…"

"That settles it," you return your gaze to Winter and smile. "Please, escort away."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

You and Blake are silently brought through the floating city of Atlas to the academy, and then to Ironwood's office. Winter opens the door for you, allowing you to enter first. The rest of the soldiers wait outside while you, Blake, and finally Winter enter. At the desk is a man who you can easily see is battle hardened… or perhaps just tired.

"Ms. Belladonna. Good to see you again."

"General," Blake bows her head a bit.

"And you… I haven't met you before," he exits his seat and walks around the desk, approaching you. "I'm James Ironwood. General of the Atlas military and Headmaster of this academy."

"Oh, uh, (Y/N)," you shake his hand. "I… uh… I'm an employee of Devil May Cry."

"So I've heard. Your establishment is well renowned… though I only ever hear of Dante."

"Yeah…" You mask your shame with a laugh. "He always gets the cool jobs."

"I see," Ironwood examines you up and down, taking note of your weapons, clothing, and even that signature white hair. "Well, I'm sure you won't disappoint."

"General," Blake speaks up. "I was told we're supposed to meet with women to find these artifacts. Did she tell you, or..?"

"Unfortunately, she was found dead less than an hour ago," Ironwood heads back to his desk. "This is the suspect," he clicks the table and an image, crystal clear, of a cloaked man with his katana piercing through the woman's chest.

Your brows furrow, instantly recognizing the man to be Vergil. The weapon is clearly Yamato, you've seen it more than enough times to know, and that cloak is the same style Vergil fancies.

"Is that..."

"Ozpin told me you were attacked as well, and the artifact was stolen. We think it's the same person."

Blake looks to you, but you remain silent.

"So… did he get the artifact that was here?"

"Well," Ironwood shuts off the image. "The artifact was never in Atlas. Originally, Ozpin was going to request I transport her there, but…" The General tilts his head towards his desk. "Things have happened. She was absolutely certain of where your artifact is, however. And, by your list of locations, it's close to your last destination."

Blake sighs a little when she hears that, something you notice.

"Where is it?" You press.

"We'll be taking you to what's left of Red Grave City."

Your body tenses up for a moment. You haven't been back there since you were a child. You don't even remember it. You can't imagine how torn up it is, how many bones are lying around, stained with dry blood. Demons will probably be everywhere, too, and they'll catch your scent like it's a signal fire.

_And that puts Blake in danger..._

"Tsk," you shake your head. "I see… alright. Thank you, General," you put on a smile for formalities. "We're ready."

"Red Grave…" Blake whispers. "I've only ever heard of it."

"And now you'll get to see it," Ironwood sits down. "I'm sending you with a Bullhead and a small escort. They'll stay with the ship, make sure nothing happens to it."

"They're equipped for what's there?" You step forward, hoping Ironwood gets your hint.

"I am aware of the… unique enemies that may be present. I assure you, the soldiers accompanying you are the best of the best."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Sucks that we're just being sent across the world now," you sigh, taking a seat in the Bullhead. "Could've saved time if we went right there."

"It's odd why Ironwood didn't just tell Ozpin. I'm sure he could have called me." Blake sits beside you and huffs. "I'm surprised he hasn't told me about my team."

You can tell Blake's downtrodden about her team. You hesitantly places your hand over hers, on her leg, which gets her attention. "They'll be okay. You recovered, right?"

"Y-Yeah… I did."

"So don't worry. We have to focus on where we're going."

"On the now?" Blake shifts her hand but keeps it under yours.

"Exactly!" You flash a smile and pat her hand before retracting it. "We'll go to…" You pause, your eyes drifting away as you're sucked into your mind. Blake easily notices this.

"Do you… know about Red Grave?"

"Well…"

"Wait," Blake places a hand on her chin. "Your name… Winter called you Redgrave."

"She's got you there, sonny," Kaimira adds.

"Oh, so now you start talking!" You look down at your leg.

"I thought ye might not want me to get attention!"

"Well I didn't so thank you!" You say in a similarly angry tone, despite the friendly words.

Blake leans closer, attempting to pressure you into answering. "So… you didn't answer my question."

"R-Right," you try to shimmer back. "Well… it's the last name my brother uses. I don't actually remember what our real last name is."

"But why Red Grave? Why after the city?"

"Hehe…" You nervously sweat. "One of life's mysteries."

"Looks like you're settled in," a man with short brown hair and green eyes greets. "Name's Clover, leader of Ace-Ops." As soon as the words leave his lips, the rest of his team enter the airship. They all give a brief wave before either taking a seat across from you or setting up in the cockpit. "We're gonna get you to Red Grave and make sure you have a way out."

"We're the best of the best," the woman with a shaved head with two platinum blonde portions that stick up at the front. "You got nothing to worry about."

"Harriet's right," Clover affirms. "But I hear you're not too shabby yourself, for a student," he focuses on Blake.

"I try my best," the Faunus nods. "I owe it to my team."

"And you," he turns his head to you. "I've heard interesting things about you."

"Hehe," you rub the back of your head. "I'm sure you have."

"Ship's ready, Clover," a male speaks from the front.

"Well," Clover claps. "Let's not waste any time."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The airship soars over the land and approaches a massive city, grey and dull. The walls are crumbling while buildings follow. There are no lights, no fires, nothing to indicate anybody still down there. Blake looks out the window, observing the city.

"Wow…"

"Yeah," you shuffle in your seat. "Wow…"

"The coordinates you showed me were near the center of the city. Do you want to airdrop while we find a place to land?"

"We can do that," Blake nods before heading to the back. "Are you ready?"

"Ready?"

Clover opens up the side door. "Get ready to jump in five."

"Five?"

"Come on!" Blake waves before leaping out of the ship.

"AH!" You push off the seat and look down. "She just jumped…"

"Hurry up!" A woman from the cockpit shouts.

You take a deep breath. "Man…" You hop out of the ship and feel the rush of wind push against you.

_Is this a normal thing?_

Your eyes dart back and forth to find where Blake is. You soon spot the girl getting closer and closer to the ground. You dive down to catch up with her, but she's already going too fast. When you both get closer to the ground, Blake takes out her weapon and throws it at one of the taller buildings. She swings down and up, landing on the building with relative grace. You, on the other hand, don't know what to do.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" You crash onto the street like a meteor, leaving a small crater on impact.

"(Y/N)!" Blake shouts from atop the building. She jumps down, swinging on one of the light posts to soften the fall and direct her towards you.

You're buried under rubble, a twitching leg is the only thing visible.

"Are you okay?"

Your voice is muffled by the debris atop you. Blake grabs your leg and pulls you out of the rubble. You're completely covered in dust, clothes and skin. You take a deep breath of fresh air. "That's better… how did you make it?"

"With my weapon," Blake chuckles. "You're not supposed to just hit the ground."

"Oh… Yeah," you wipe your face from the dirt and start to stand. "That makes sense. Oh," you stretch your arms and back. "That was a doozie," you let out a sigh and take in the sights. "Red Grave, huh? It's been a while."

"This is Ace-Ops. You reading me?"

Blake grabs her scroll. "We do."

"We've found a clearing, sending you the coordinates now. Get what you need and get out. This shouldn't take long."

"Roger. I have where we need to go," she looks at you. "It's… this way," she starts walking towards an alley. "We can cut through here."

"_Sparda."_

"_Sparda."_

"_Sparda."_

You pause at the whispers flowing through the city.

"They're here all right," Kaimira confirms.

"Yeah… I'm not surprised."

"(Y/N)!" Blake waves from the alley. "Come on!"

"Right," you run to catch up with the girl. "This is…" You slow down when you get behind her, following Blake's lead. "My soul feels uneven."

"What does that mean? Are you okay? Seriously, what is this place to you?"

"Heh," you and Blake exit the alley and come to a massive hole with crumbled walls and water below. "I was born here," you step ahead of Blake. "We're going straight ahead, aren't we?" You look over rubble and spot a few places - one which you've merely heard of and the other you have a very faint memory of.

"Yes, actually. How did you-"

"Great…" You huff. "No need to wait. Demons will probably be on their way soon."

You grab Blake and take a few steps back.

"Hey!"

"I can jump… probably." You sprint forward, Blake shouting at you the entire time, even when you leap off the corner and soar over the empty hole below. However… you realize you're not gonna make it.

"(Y/N)!"

"I know!" You spin around, taking the blunt force of the broken pipe. You cough up some saliva before falling to the incline below. You keep Blake safe by holding her a little higher. When you land, you slip and fall on your bottom. However, Blake is still untouched.

"Well… that could've gone better," you let Blake get to her feet before you stand yourself. "But, we're close…" You look around at your current location. Despite the one fallen building you fell against, everything else is fairly open. You spot a small section, the metal fence still somehow standing, if warped. "This was where you were, right, Vergil?"

"Are you okay?" Blake steps beside you. "We're almost there. From what I can tell we have to go-"

"There, right?" You point across a chasm to a run down house with a red roof.

"Y-Yeah. How did you..?"

"Heh," you start walking. "Come on. I'll tell you when we get there."

Blake watches you pass by her and jump down into the chasm below. That chasm leads to her mission, and her desire. Her desire to learn what happened to you. What happened to this place? The Faunus jumps down and runs after you.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Through the underground, path after path, rubble surrounding everything, you and Blake eventually climb back out and see this broken house for all it's glory. You stop before it, a feeling of unease and fear running through your body as it was your blood.

"I always heard of this night," Kaimira speaks. "But…"

"Yeah," you cut in. "This… hm…" You move ahead of Blake and take in the sights. You haven't thought of this place in years. The trees that were once bright and beautiful are decayed, barely hanging onto life. The house that ignited everything. You pass by a closet, still intact. You stop and look at it for a moment, smirking. "Dante…" You step forward and look at the burned portrait of a mother, father, and three sons.

Blake steps beside you and looks at it. "This… is your family, isn't it? This is your house?"

You don't respond to her question. You take a few steps around and take in the sights. You haven't been here since you were a child. A rush of memories are sprouting from a buried part of your mind. Your mother, kissing you on the head before you sleep. Your brothers strapped you to a chair and laughed while you struggled to get out. Even when Yamato and Rebellion were first shown to your olders brothers. You were drooling over how awesome they were, even when Dante nearly cut you in half with it by accident. You can't remember your father's face, though. He disappeared before you could really recognize him. But your mother, your brothers, everything from your childhood is slowly coming back.

Blake isn't sure what to do until she hears a droplet hit the ground below you. The girl takes a step forward after she realizes you're crying.

"It was my home… I was… and I'm just remembering it now," you kneel down and drag your hand across the ground while looking up at the portrait. "This is where everything fell apart. The demons… they attacked this place to find my family. This place… is why we're all so different," you stand up, eyes looking at the young version of the boys. "Especially me. I wasn't here when they attacked. I didn't see mother die, I wasn't nearly killed by demons, I didn't have that fear burrow into my heart. I don't have a desire to find the demon who killed my mom, I don't have the drive to find more power…" You shake your head, laughing at your own pettiness. "My brothers went through hell and I was playing a video game with my friend," you slam your fist against the floor. "It's why I'm so weak."

Blake goes to touch you but you step forward, still looking at the portrait. "You know, my father gave us things… Dante and Vergil got their weapons from dad. Mom gave them amulets… I didn't get this until I was older," you grab your sword and plant it before you, staring back at the reflection of yourself. "Some say it was dad's sword. I don't see it. Maybe that's the joke, huh?" You turn around at her and smile, a few tears running down your face. "It's just like me."

"(Y/N)..." Blake can't find words to muster. She can't even begin to imagine how much this place, these memories weigh you down.

"You know… I didn't know I was a demon until I was captured. It was the first time I had ever seen a demon. I was so scared that my body just froze. They impaled me against a wall, tossed me around like I was a doll, and suspended me in the air with their blades. I couldn't believe I was still alive. Thought it was just the shock of all the pain. W-When I was a kid I never got hurt. I know now it was just my body healing so fast, but this was so much, so different. They would've taken what they wanted if not for..." you snicker. "Vergil saved me. I didn't even know who he was at first, until he started talking. Said he was disgusted that I lost so easily," you shake your head and laugh a little more. "Caring brother, as always. But… he is. I really look up to him, you know? As a warrior and even a brother. Dante has taken care of me and I owe so much to both of them, but Vergil… I've always looked up to him since I was a kid."

"So…"

"He stabbed me right after that," you chuckle. "Said that I should find my motivation, that he'd kill me if I was this weak the next time we met." You turn back to Blake, eyes watering, and shrug your shoulders. "Nice to know he doesn't consider me completely useless anymore. I just sometimes wish," you look back at the sword, at yourself, at the weak devil crying. "I just wish I could actually make them both proud rather than just… just being acceptable."

Blake hesitantly steps forward, her body and mind fighting themselves before she spontaneously pounces forward and wraps her arms around you from behind. "You're someone to be more than proud of, (Y/N). You beat that big demon!"

"My name is Balrog."

"And you've been nothing but nice! I…" Blake huffs. "I'm not good at cheering people up…"

"Heh," you turn around and hug her back. "Thanks… you know, if there's one thing I'm better at than my brothers it's definitely people skills."

Blake laughs. "I think so too."

You both share a weak chuckle before everything goes silent once more.

"You should find the artifact," you let her go and stand up. "I'll be right here," you return to staring at the portrait.

"R-Right. It should be somewhere in this house, I guess," the girl carefully starts to maneuver.

"_Might controls everything, and without strength you cannot protect anything. Let alone yourself."_

Your body flickers with demonic power as the words of both brothers echo in your mind.

"One day… I'll find my motivation," you grab Force Edge and place it against your back. "One day… I'll match up with you two."

"You know what, wee boy?" Kaimira finally speaks again. "For some odd reason, despite seeing how much ye never show any sign of skill… I believe you."

"Hehe," you pat the sheathe. "Thanks, buddy."

"I think this is it," Blake says, coming out of a door that she cleared. "It matches my picture."

You squint to get a little better of a look. It appears to be a straw doll. You don't remember anything like that when you were a kid, but perhaps it was Dante or Vergil's. May have even been your mother's.

"So we're okay?"

"For the mission, yeah. Are you?"

"I think I needed to come back here, to see this place again. Honestly, I'm glad you were here," you say with an honest smile. "I think it would've been harder if you weren't here."

"I'm glad I could be here with you," she nods and smiles.

"I don't mean to interrupt your moment, sonny, but the demons are getting closer. If we don't move, we'll be surrounded."

"Right," you turn away and head for the exit. "We should get going. What's the last place we have to visit?"

Blake gets a little excitement in her eyes. "Menagerie."

**Haza! We're done with this chapter! Not so much action, I know, but it's a scene I wanted to get in there for character and whatnot. Next we get to visit the home of the Faunus which… well, nothing will go wrong. Don't you worry. I hope you're enjoying it so far! There's only two chapters left of Dismal Demon! We're hitting the finish line! **

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	5. Chapter 4: The Pieces Fall Into Place

Chapter 4: The Pieces Fall Into Place

You lean on the metal railing, admiring the view of the calm sea. If you had taken the ship with Ace-Ops, you'd probably be there already, but Blake advised that you approach in a less dramatic way to avoid causing unnecessary tension. The people of Menagerie aren't too fond of Atlas military landing on their island.

You take a gander at Blake, who's just a short distance away from you. Since you got on this boat, Blake has seemed happier than you remember her being. She did mention she lived on Menagerie for quite a while. You remember learning about Menagerie in class when you were younger, along with the struggles of Faunus through history. She hasn't directly said it, but you figured out quite some time ago that Blake was a Faunus. The moving bow gave it away, for you.

Blake looks back at you, noticing that you're just staring at her. A small tint runs along her face as she smiles and waves at you. This unexpected response causes you to fumble, raising your hand to wave back but simply punch your jaw. The strength of the punch knocks you over the railing. Thankfully, you were already holding on, thus you dangle from the side of the boat.

"(Y/N)!" Blake swiftly approaches to assist you

She just manages to grab your arm with hers, then grips it tight with both while trying to pull you up. Meanwhile you spin yourself around, grab the railing with your other hand and pull yourself up. You roll over the railing and land on the ground, staring up at Blake and the sky, chuckling.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," you reply with a happy tone. "I'm just… silly."

"You are, yeah," she walks around and offers her hand. "Try not to go overboard when we arrive."

You get on your feet and brush yourself off. "Was… was that a joke?"

"Was it bad?"

"No, no," you shake your head adamantly. "It was. I just… haven't heard you make a joke."

There's a moment where you're both laughing, then it dies down, and then there's silence. You both look back out to the sea.

"So… when was the last time you visited Menagerie?"

Blake's smile quickly disappears while a look of shame washes over. "I… Last time I was here was… strange."

"How so?" You shift a little closer, making sure the wind doesn't make your scarf hit Blake.

"I…" Blake stares into your eyes, her hesitation holding her back. She shakes her head to dismiss it. You confided in her about your family. She can do the same for you. "I… was a member of the White Fang. My parents didn't follow the new White Fang and I… I thought they were mere cowards."

"The White Fang, huh?" You look back to the sea, taking in the fresh air. "You aren't anymore, I assume?"

"No," she shakes her head. "I've long since left them. Even stopped them a few times with my team. One time, during the semester, I came back with my friends and confronted my family again. They were so… nice. They just let me back in and treated me like nothing happened."

You raise your brow in confusion. "That's… a good thing, right?"

"Yes, but… I just feel like I didn't deserve it. I was so terrible to them and…"

"Well, I would appreciate that. I had parental figures when I was a kid, but they don't talk to me anymore."

"Why?"

"Heh," you run your tongue along your teeth as the memory surfaces. "When I was first attacked by demons… their son, my best friend, was there. He was killed. They didn't want anything to do with me, despite raising me for as long as I could remember," you place your hand on Blake's shoulder. "So, try to think of it in a good way, huh? Your parents sound like great people. I'm excited to meet them."

Blake's face drop. "Right… you're meeting my parents."

"What?" You worriedly say. "Is that… bad? You just went pale."

"No, no, it's fine!" Blake turns around to hide her face. "We're only there to find this relic, anyway."

"So we can use your house as a sort of base until we find it. Menagerie is a decently sized island, right?"

"Yeah…" Blake huffs. "Yeah," the girl catches a glimpse of an island in the distance. "We're… almost there."

"Cool," you stretch your back and walk past Blake. "We should make sure to grab our stuff. I'm sure Kaimira wouldn't like me leaving him behind."

"I'm always here," Balrog says with his deep, booming voice.

"Yes you are," you pat your shoulder.

Blake watches you walk away for a moment before sighing. She undoes her bow, revealing her Faunus ears, and shoves the material into her pocket. She doesn't need to hide it here.

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The boat docks with Menagerie, letting all it's passengers, almost exclusively Faunus, depart. The port is filled with different huts with boxes below, stalls, and a plethora of people surrounding them. Food, appliances, even a few weapons stalls. You walk alongside Blake and are immediately being hit by a horrid smell. You cover your nose and cough.

"Oh, god… the smell…"

Blake, along with several other wandering Faunus, look at you with disgust.

"(Y/N)!" Blake scolds. "Don't be so rude!"

"Wait," you reach out for her. "That's not what I…" Blake, who's now ignoring you, keeps walking. You sigh. "That's not what I meant. Kaimira, do you-"

"I do, but it's odd. Not the normal smell."

"Okay, so I was right," you start fast walking after Blake. "I'll have to keep an eye out."

You follow Blake down a path that's fairly crowded with Faunus. There is space to maneuver, but it's not too much. The stone path you follow exits the port and goes to a more residential looking area. There's houses all over, some small and hut-like, others more like a bungalow. It's nowhere near as architecturally advanced as anywhere you've been before. This path takes you up some stairs and to a massive overview of buildings, trees, and even the mountains far beyond.

"Wow…" You crack a smile. "This is… really awesome." You soon realize Blake is going on without you and jog to her side. "So, where are we going?"

Blake stops and looks at you with sharp eyes, still upset.

"I'm sorry," you let your head fall. "I didn't mean it like that."

"What did you mean it like?" She snaps.

"I… uh…" You look away, spotting some of the Faunus staring back at you. "It's… hard to explain."

"Then don't say it again."

"Right," you nod.

"Well," Blake sighs. "We're going… there," she stops and points to the large building in the middle.

It almost reminds you of your home. Centered, larger than most, easily distinguishable. You cross your arms and squint.

"Are you important?" You look to her, quickly realizing how that could be taken. "I-I mean, like, is your family important on the island. You're important, but… uh…"

"It's fine," Blake waves you off, saving you from any more embarrassment. "My father is… not a leader, but a very important and influential person on the island."

"So… kinda like a Mayor but not?"

"Sort of," the girl nods. "I guess that's the easiest way to say it. Try not to be…" She scans you up and down. "Meh, you should be fine. But I would like to ask your weapons to not talk."

"I'd rather not anyway," Kaimira whispers.

"Agreed," Balrog adds.

Blake raises her brow. "That's… not what I'm used to."

"They're just shy," you wave off. "Don't worry about them."

Blake shrugs and keeps walking at her brisk pace. You slow down a bit, noting that a lot of the residents are staring at you as you pass.

"I can't get the scent out of my nose," you complain. "But I know it's not the same. I wish Dante was here… he'd know."

"Just be on your toes, boy," Kaimira advises. "There are Demons around, but they're hiding. Waiting."

"Yeah," you turn around, walking backwards as you get a lay of the land. "I just hope I can deal with the demons quietly. I don't want to freak out these people... " You spot a few more staring you down. "Unlike them," you turn around and shiver. "I'm super creeped. Is that racist?"

"Racist?" Kaimira and Balrog repeat.

"Eh, nevermind," you shake your head. "It's not cause they're Faunus… not cause of that. They just creep me out… not Faunus, but, like, the way they're looking at me…"

"Are you okay?" Blake shouts from down the road.

"YES! Yes, yeah," you quickly jog towards her. "Totally fine. Totally… fine," you look back over your shoulder at the staring residents. At this point, they could just be watching you because of your antics.

You stay with Blake for the rest of the trip down the main road to her house. There's plenty of smaller establishments around with some rock walls, tall trees, and even another small set of stairs before finally reaching the house. You and Blake stop at the door, yet don't enter right away. You place your hands on your hips and raise your brow, noting Blake's hesitation.

"You're… is this okay?"

"Yeah," Blake nods. "Yeah… I just still feel bad. Plus," she looks back at you, stares for a moment, then hides her smile. "I don't usually bring boys home."

"Oooh," you nod. "I get ya. You know, I knew quite a few guys who could woo the ladies," you remark, stepping closer to Blake.

"Did you now?" She turns and giggles.

"Yep," nod with confidence. "I wasn't one of them, though. Any of our plans for me tended to end in… embarrassment," you rub the back of your neck. "It's kind of like fighting," you perk up. "Just not… great at it."

"You know," Blake focuses on the door and grabs the knocker. "Some people are better when they don't try," she says before slamming it against the door, causing a loud echo.

"What's that supposed to mean?" You tilt your head.

After a moment, the giant door slowly opens to reveal a woman, fairly older than you two, but who somewhat reminds you of Blake. Though she does have shorter hair and significantly bigger ears than the young Faunus. She does have a similar colour scheme to Blake, her underlayer being all white while her overlayer is black.

The woman, at least to you, seems a little confused on why you two are at her door,

"Hey, mom," Blake tightly waves. "I'm home!"

"MY daughter!" The woman rushes to give her daughter a hug. "I wasn't expecting you for months!"

"Y-Yeah," Blake hugs her back. "I'm on a mission, actually."

"A mission? What would bring you here?" The woman releases Blake and takes a step back. She looks at you with an odd expression. It's not of curiosity or intrigue, but something you can't quite put your finger on. "Who's this, sweety?"

"Oh, this is (Y/N)," Blake gestures to you. "He's, uh… a classmate."

"Yeah," you quickly follow along. "Blake has really been helping me out."

"That's my Blake for you," the woman smiles. "It's so nice to meet you, (Y/N)," she gives you a hug as well, taking a deep breath to absorb your scent.

"Mom!" Blake sharply whispers, her ears falling flat.

"Hehe," you nervously chuckle. "Should… I smell back?" You raise a brow.

"No!" Blake pinches her nose. "Mom, please."

"Okay," she lets you go.

"So, uh," you stretch your shoulders. "What's your name?"

The woman looks at Blake, silently asking her to introduce herself.

"This is my mother, Kali," Blake says. "There's also my father. Where is he?"

"Oh, let me get him. Please, come in," Kali invites you into the entryway. "Honey!" Kali walks off.

"Your dad is..?"

"Ghira," Blake whispers.

"Right, Ghira and Kali," you look around the main room, checking to see if there's anything odd. "I wonder…"

"What?"

"Can I ask you something?" You face Blake. "Does your mom usually make you introduce her?"

"Hm?" Blake looks up while she thinks. "Not usually. Dad tends to introduce both of them."

"Hm…" You nod. "Okay, just curious.

"_Didn't know he could be so observant."_

"_I admit, the wee Sparda has given me a few surprises."_

"_Perhaps he is not as inept as I was led to believe."_

"_Hohoho, don't mix it up, Balrog. He is!"_

"_I'm not sure, Kaimira…"_

Around the corner comes a larger man with thick black hair and beard to match, he even has a large patch of black hair on his open chest. He has a large blue coat with white fur on the insides for warmth. Other than his metal belt, there's nothing out of the ordinary that he wears.

"Our daughter, Blake, is here!" Kali gestures towards you.

"Yes… Blake! It's good to see you," he says while approaching, though his eyes are on you. "And your friend, (Y/N)."

"Hm," you raise your brow. "Hey, Blake," you whisper. "Did you hear them mention me?"

"What?" Blake is taken aback. "Ah, uh, no," she thinks. "But we can hear really well. I'm not surprised he knows."

"Mm," you nod.

"It's good to see you," Ghira hugs his daughter. "You look great!"

"Same to you two," Blake smiles at her parents. "I hope we're not intruding on anything."

"Never! I always have time for my daughter! Why are you here, anyway?"

You raise a brow at that one, but you attempt to keep a casual, friendly demeanor to you.

"We're here on a mission. Actually, I was hoping you would know where we could find this woman," Blake takes out her scroll and shows a picture.

Ghira and Kali gaze at the picture and show a sign of uncomfortability.

"I remember her," Ghira becomes more cheery. "She was searching for something in the desert."

"The desert?" Blake places her scroll back in her pocket. "But it's extremely dangerous!"

"She said she was well equipped, and it was a few days ago. I'm sure she'll be back soon. You can stay here while you wait!" Kali claps her hands. "It'd be wonderful to have you and your friend for dinner."

"Is the desert that dangerous?" You shift your body towards Blake.

"It's extremely dangerous… but between the two of us…"

"No, you should stay here!" Kali pleads. "It's safer for you!"

"I'm sure you and your friend are very capable, Blake," Ghira places his hand on Blake's shoulder. "But let's wait for her to come back."

"Okay," Blake nods. "I'd like to relax at home. Is that okay?"

You shrug. "Sure. It'd be cool if you showed me around."

Blake's eyes light up with excitement. "Yeah, I'd love to! Better than sitting around."

"That sounds excellent! I'll get started on dinner right away!" Kali quickly runs off.

"I have some business I need to get back to. I'll see you at dinner, my daughter."

"Okay, dad," Blake nods. "I'll show you around the house, then maybe we can go around the island?"

"Sounds good."

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After showing where you're going to be staying and getting a general idea of the house, Blake took you out to look around Menagerie some more, which has lead you to a food stand…

"_Why stay here?"_

"Because I don't know what would happen if I left Blake," you mumble while watching Blake get some snacks. "I have a really bad feeling about this island, and there's no way Blake can survive Demons on her own."

"_And her parents?"_

"I don't know…" You shake your head. "Darn it… I feel so dumb," you clench your fist. "I want to help and protect my friend, but…" The tightness of your fist draws blood, something you don't notice. "Damnit… I really am the worst Sparda…"

"(Y/N)!" Blake approaches with two fish-kebabs. "Here! These are my favourite."

You grab the one offered to you and smile. "Thanks. These are snacks? Looks like dinner to me."

"Oh, no," Blake shakes her head after taking a bite. "I can eat so many of these! They're so delicious," her eyes become stars.

You chuckle, taking a bite yourself. It's definitely appetizing, but it's nothing that blows your mind. You can see her eagerly waiting for you to gush at the taste.

"My god!" You pull back and stare at the food. "This is the greatest thing I've ever tasted!" You shout with enthusiasm.

"I know!" Blake smiles at your reaction. "It's the greatest food on the planet!"

"Unparalleled in every regard!" You nod.

"Finally, someone who gets it!" Blake shouts to the heavens.

With food in your hands, you both walk along the shoreline of Menagerie, passing some parents watching their children play, or just those who want to relax on this sunny day.

"You know, this place really is beautiful," you say, smiling at the kids playing.

"Perhaps… but to us, it's a reminder that we're just second class… we were given this place and told to make do," Blake sighs before taking a bite of her comfort food.

"I suppose that's fair," you nod. "But, hey, I know what it's like to feel different," you look at her and smile. "Not many people are fond of a half demon dummy like me," you point at yourself. "So I guess we're both sorta outcasts."

"Hm… but people can't see that you're a demon," Blake points out.

"Yeah, maybe," you nod. "But it's costed me a lot… besides," you nudge her. "I don't get cute cat ears."

"Cute? They- it's not- w-well, you can regenerate!" Blake changes the topic.

"Yeah, but that's not very appealing. It's never been a great party trick to stab myself… actually," you pat Force Edge. "I've never actually stabbed myself with my own blade."

"I'm pretty sure that's normal," Blake half laughs.

"For other people, yeah!" You reply with enthusiasm, picking up a faster pace than intended. "But both Dante and Vergil have gotten stabbed by their own weapons before! Dante even got a big power boost from it!" You flail your arms. "Which isn't fair! I can't just stab myself with my sword. It's… scary."

"You have just said a lot of things I need to process," Blake shakes her head. "Mind if we stop?"

"Oh, sure," you turn around and move beside Blake, looking out at the crystal clear ocean before you.

You eat up the last of the kebab and twist the wooden stick in your hand.

"I never really get to appreciate this… calm," Blake starts speaking. "Being at Beacon is a lot, you know. Schooling, friends, missions…"

"Well, hopefully all your missions aren't like this one," you joke.

"No, that they aren't," Blake shakes her head. "But… look, I'm going to be honest for a second," she turns to you. "I… really appreciate you being with me."

"What do you mean? Of course I'll be with ya," you shake your head as if it's not a question. "This is my battle too… and I enjoy the company. You're a step up from my brothers, I'll tell you that. But… heh," you smile at her. "I just really enjoy being around you."

"I do too," Blake nods. "I… really like being around you. I mean, you're the first boy I've brought home to my parents."

"Well," you place a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you. Don't worry, we'll finish up this mission and then… hey, maybe I can meet your teammates!"

"Yeah," Blake nods then smiles. "I'd like that a lot."

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"And we managed to win the Vytal Festival!" Blake explains, her plate already wiped clean.

Kali and Ghira listen to their daughter go off on a tangent about her time at Beacon, while you remain quiet and attentive. It's not normal for you, but you have this knot in your chest that won't go away.

"I'm so happy that you're having a good time, Blake," Kali claps her hands together. "And you're making so many friends!"

"Comrades are indeed important," Ghira nods. "You seem to have plenty of powerful ones. (Y/N)," he looks at you. "You attend Beacon too, no?"

"Yeah," you quickly answer.

"You must be quite the formidable Huntsman."

"I have my moments."

The two adults look between one another, smiling. "I believe you're just being modest," Kali places her hand on your jacket. "You seem so strong!"

"_They are!" Balrog speaks._

"_No question about it now!"_

"He is," Blake nods. "He's beaten things I couldn't dream of."

"Heh," you eye the adults. "It's luck."

Kali and Ghira get uncomfortable for a moment. "Well, I have some business I need to attend to," the man stands up. "Could I ask for your assistance, Kali?"

"Of course. Blake, show (Y/N) to his room."

"I… well, okay," Blake nods. "Come on, (Y/N). Could you help put the dishes away?"

"Of course."

You and Blake collect all the dishes and bring them to the kitchen, now completely away from her parents.

"Do they seem off to you at all?"

"Not… really. I guess they just have a lot on their mind. We did show up out of the blue."

"I guess," you nod. "Hm…"

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The dark night casts over Menagerie, all of its people are sleeping soundly. That includes you, sleeping in the room beside Blake. A soft sound approaches from outside, soon followed by the door opening to reveal Ghira. He enters the room, looking over you while you sleep. Your face is turned towards him, hair messily laying over your face and the pillow. Ghira lifts his arm up-

_**BAM**_

_**THUD THUD**_

You and Ghira lie against opposite walls, the bed between you. You're holding Kaimira, staring intently across at the Faunus with a massive hole in his chest. You keep your weapon aimed at Ghira as you stand up and walk around the bed.

"Please… please be right," you say to yourself.

"Sparda…" Ghira slowly looks up at you, a twisted smile. "You've doomed… everything."

Ghira's appearance shifts into a smaller, grotesque demon. Like you thought, this wasn't a skin steal. It was morphing, it wasn't his true form bursting out of a layer, it was just some sort of external force masking him.

Blake soon runs in, wearing a black robe with white tints and her symbol on her chest. She runs in sees you and a demon.

"What happened?"

Kali runs in after her. "Is everyone al-"

_**BAM**_

You fire Kaimira right into her, sliding you back towards the bed while Kali flips and falls on her face. Blake is horrified at the sight, soon screaming out in agony at the sight of her dead mother.

"WHAT DID YOU DO? WHY? WHY?"

You quietly point at Kali, waiting for her body to shift into a demon. As you predicted, it does, and Blake still doesn't know how to react.

"Wha… what is…"

"Sparda boy, we shook the nest," Kaimira speaks. "I can feel all that demonic power surging."

"It's just what I thought," you place Kaimira into your sheath and head for the window. "When we got here I smelt them… it was overwhelming. Demons were everywhere," you notice a plethora of demons leaping out from buildings. "Damnit," you shake your head, turning around and heading for Force Edge.

"I…" Blake's unable to even form words. "What… hap-happened… to-"

"I don't think they're dead," you place Force Edge on your back. "This wasn't the same as other methods. But… I don't know where they are, I'm sorry. Blake," you approach her and place both hands on her shoulders. "Listen, I need you to stay here. The demons are coming and I…" You huff. "I have to stop them."

"B-But-"

"This isn't a discussion. You can't handle these demons… I don't even know if I can," you turn away and head for the balcony. "But… I have to try. I won't let them reach you," you stop at the sliding door and gaze at the girl. "We'll find the Faunus, Blake. You just need to stay here."

You open the door and get on the balcony, now seeing even more demons approaching. You're about to move when Blake's arms wrap around your body.

"Please… be safe."

"I'll try," you snicker before jumping off the balcony and landing in front of the house. You turn around and see Blake, on the balcony, staring at you with tears in her eyes. For a moment, your vision plays tricks on you. The house flickers to your old home in Red Grave, Blake is switched out for Dante, Vergil, and your mother. The two images keep flickering in your view until you shake your head and turn away.

"It won't happen again, I won't let it!" You look forward to all the demons. Smaller ones that mirror what Kali and Ghira were, half a dozen massive frogs with different coloured women as bait, a griffin flying high above, a massive demon, one you believe to be Goliath, is smashing his way through buildings, and at the back is a woman with a bird body.

"Destroy the Son of Sparda!" Malphas, the woman-bird, screams. "He works for the betrayer!"

You draw your sword and make a line in the dirt before Blake's house. "They will not cross this line…" You clench your fist, a short burst of demonic power flowing out of you. "I will destroy all of you!" You raise your sword up and take a deep breath, unconsciously following what you've seen Dante and Vergil do. "Balrog, Kaimira, are you ready?"

"I am prepared," Balrog speaks, appearing on your arms, legs, and shoulders.

"This is suicide, boy," Kaimira chuckles. "You're reminding me more of ye brothers."

"Well then," you squint as the demons get closer, nearly upon you. "I'll make sure this is a potluck battle!"

You burst forward, copying Dante's stinger to pierce through four enemies. You trip forward, stabbing the blade into the ground. You see all the enemies around you and jump, grabbing your hilt with both hands and spinning around, kicking all the demons away. You stop spinning, taking a moment to recover from your dizziness.

"How… does he do that?" You shake your head. "GAH!" Three demons land on you, their blades cutting through your body. You clench your fist, charging up.

"IGNITE THE FLAME!"

You slam your fist down, releasing a small tornado of fire that knocks any nearby demons away and burns them to ash. You quickly grab your sword and run down the street. You need to get them as far away from Blake's house as possible. You grab your blade with both hands and cut through a demon before you. You follow the momentum, unwillingly, and cut through two demons as you spin around. You slam your foot down and bring Force Edge down as if it was a hammer, slamming down… beside a smaller demon. You look up at it, pausing for a moment before you quickly draw Kaimira and blow it to pieces.

The shot forces you back a few feet while more and more demons come. You can hear the sound of the larger demons approaching, feel the vibrations on the ground. It's more than you've ever faced before. Almost overwhelming to think about.

"But I won't lose," you shake your head. "Not in a million years!" You grab Force Edge and focus for a moment before throwing it. The sword spins around and round, cutting through demons as it boomerangs down the path.

You chase after it with Balrog ready, slugging each demon you pass with little grace.

"One!" Your weapon shouts.

You slam one to the ground, crushing it's head. You spin around slam your fist through another demon. "Two!" You pull your hand back, raise your leg, and kick a demon - Balrog adding his own burst of fire to ensure it dies. "Three!" You stumble off balance for a moment, distracting you enough for four demons to lunge at you. "H-Hey!" You complain, taking the initiative to approach one and throw out three deadly punches, all lacking finesse. "Four! Five! Six!" You turn around, jump and heel kick another demon's head. "Seven!" You don't land smoothly, instead messing up the footing and falling on your face. The remaining two demons leap on you, driving their demonic metal through your back. You merely get up, forcing your opponents to release their weapons, then turn to face them. You shrug before grabbing their faces and slamming them together. "Eight! Nine!"

The ground shakes even more as Goliath barrels his way through the crowd of demons to get you. "I want your blood, SPARDA!" He screams, throwing all his weight into his fist.

"Sparda!" Balrog speaks.

"Right!"

You pull your own fist back, charging all the flames you just stored. You wait, wait, and wait for just the right moment.

"BURST!" Balrog howls while you throw your fist.

You connect with Goliath, your weapon releasing a massive amount of fire that knocks the giant demon far back, crashing through some of the buildings and even crushing one of the frog demons.

"Hey," you smile. "That… that was pretty cool. I did a cool thing!" You roll your shoulder, hopping a little in place. "Looks like when I'm determined I can be just as cool as-"

Force Edge comes swinging around and slams the side of your head with the pommel, knocking both you and it to the ground.

"O-Ow…"

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Blake slides her weapon into place, now dressed in her regular outfit and geared up. She has no plans on directly going against what you said and heading out there, but she needs to be ready to fight in case… the worst happens. The Faunus approaches a window, watching you standing up, rub the back of your head, pick up your sword then rush back into battle.

"I really can't tell… whether you know what you're doing or you're just lucky," she places her hand against the glass. "Please… be safe, (Y/N). I need help finding my family, and… I don't want you to get hurt."

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You stumble back, barely dodging Goliath's punch, when something slimy suddenly slithers around your stomach. You look down, confused. "What the- GAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" You're hauled off your feet, through a few houses, and then slammed before one of the demon toads.

"No Sparda will leave here today," he groggily taunts, lifting you in the air, in front of his mouth.

"Yeah?" You chuckle. "I'll bet the opposite," you tighten your grip on Force Edge and slice at his tongue.

You fall to the ground whilst the beast howls, pushing the tongue off you to keep fighting. Other smaller demons approach, along with Goliath, making everything just more complicated. While you haven't noticed it, Balrog and Kaimira have noted your increased demonic power while fighting, more than either have seen you release before. It makes them think winning this is possible.

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Along the beach, where little demons reside, a section of space is torn open. Out of that tear steps Vergil, no longer in his cloak. He immediately notes how many demons are around, and how they're focused on something.

"Interesting. What could garner this much attention?" He calmly walks forward, noting the larger demons. "Mm… Malphas," he spots the woman. "Are you searching for the artifacts too?"

Vergil hoists himself atop a building to get a better sight as to what's happening. To his surprise, he witnesses Goliath throw you into the air.

"Brother…" He says under his breath. "Why bother fighting this many demons? What even placed you in this situation? You have no-"

He holds his tongue when he sees you note Goliath turning towards a house near the center of town. The demon starts running towards it with all his might, which elicits an unprecedented response from you.

"NO!" Your voice echoes through the sky as you fire Kaimira behind you, increasing your speed towards the beast. You shift your blade to your side, ready to slash from whichever direction you appear from. Using Trickster, you shift in front of the beast, slashing right through his face. Before you have a moment to recover, the Griffin above rains down a fury of lightning strikes that all hit directly, bringing you down to topple across the ground and stop at Goliath's feet.

"You rancid child!" The Goliath picks you up and slams you against the ground again. "How dare you touch me!" He crushes you beneath his palm, twisting for good measure, then slides his hand along the ground to drag you closer to the building. He grabs pieces of fallen buildings and shoves them into a massive mouth where his stomach should be. "I'll destroy you!"

You shakily get to your feet, noting the potential projectile and the fact that Blake's house is right behind you. You get to your feet, eyes locked on Goliath with a determination your brother has never seen before. Goliath fires a molten ball at you, and it explodes on contact. You're pushed back a bit, but your stance is still strong. Your legs bent, left arm angled up while the other is close to your stomach.

"Heh… hehe…" You smirk. "Royal Guard… but not quite as perfect," you unholster your sword. "You. Can't. Beat me," you say with such conviction that surprises Vergil. "No matter what you do… no matter how strong you think you are," you start approaching. "You will never beat me," you flick the sword to a reverse grip and lower yourself. "I… am a Son of Sparda!" You throw the sword forward, sending a purple sonic wave towards the Goliath. It cuts right through the beasts arm, making it twist and fall. You are thrown off balance by the attack, but manage not to fall over.

"Interesting… (Y/N)... where did this motivation come from? What are you fighting for?" He watches as you try to cut through all the demons before you, sometimes messing up, but still moving and killing. The elder brother smiles. "Well, I cannot allow you to fight this alone," he looks towards the Griffon that's still flying over you, preparing for another attack. He extends his legs and grabs hold of Yamato, taking a deep breath before letting the blade leave it's sheath for merely an instant. A sudden burst of slashes surround the Griffon, cutting the demon to ribbons.

Vergil leaps far across the battlefield, landing behind one of the toads.

"Cut you down," he mumbles to himself before dashing through the demon - killing it.

With two of her larger demons now dead within seconds, Malphas turns her attention to the corpse and bears witness to the legendary existence of Vergil.

"N-No! Not that one!" She panics. "Kill him! EVERYONE KILL HIM!" She points.

Many of the demons closer to her change their trajectory to Vergil, while Goliath and all the ones around you remain focused. Vergil, as if the ground was ice, glides along it, cutting down demons with Yamato as if it was nothing. He spins and stops, stepping back and releasing a swift Judgement Cut that renders the entire horde of demons, including another frog demon, to ash. Vergil slowly sheaths his blade, exhaling as he does so, then calmly begins walking towards Malphas.

At the same time, you manage to uppercut the final frog into the air, jump up, and kick him towards the disarmed Goliath. You don't have the center of gravity to remain stationary, so you're flung back towards Blake's house while Goliath is hit by his fellow demon. The frog disintegrates on impact, leaving Goliath to become even more enraged.

"I will not allow the usurper to win! I will become the second hand of Mundus!"

"Usurper?" You question while getting off your back, taking a moment to catch your breath. "I don't know what you're talking about… but… how about you tell me where the Faunus are?"

"Those pathetic creatures?" Goliath laughs. "Malphas left them trapped in the desert so we could use their forms. I'm sure they're dead by now!"

"Tsk," you get to your feet, take a breath, and roll your shoulders. "Yeah… you could never be second in command. You gave up that information really easily."

"I only say it because I'm going to repay you for my arm."

You chuckle. "No… no you're not," you sheath Force Edge and prepare Balrog.

_That rock he threw at me powered up Royal Guard. If I can combine it with Balrog's attacks… Come on, (Y/N), don't mess up here. You can't afford to!_

"You ready?"

"Of course," your weapon answers.

"Trickster!" You snap before teleporting right in front of Balrog, catching the beast off guard.

"Royal Guard!" You shout before funnelling the fire in your weapons and unleashing your stored power directly into Goliath's face. The power shakes its way through the demons body, causing a sudden explosion that blows you far back, practically to Blake's doorstep. You slowly try to get up but your strength fails you.

"Come on… I can't give up…"

"_Come on, (Y/N)! Play with us!"_

"_Leave him be, Dante!"_

"_Children! Dinner's ready! Don't make me have daddy come get you!"_

"_Coming mom!"_

"_Don't forget your brother!"_

You smile at the sudden memory. "I'm… protecting it all…" You shakily grab Force Edge off your back and use it as a cane to hoist yourself up.

"Sparda boy, we're almost done! Ye can do it!" Kaimira shouts.

"You have power, child. Show them!" Balrog encourages.

You barely manage to stay on your feet while you witness small demons rush at you, passing the line you made at the start. They surround you, attempt to tear you apart, attempt to enter Blake's home…

Your eyes shrink as your motivation grabs hold…

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"How pathetic," Vergil shakes his head. "Weakness, that's all I see."

"No!" Malphas attempts to attack, but Vergil jumps forward, his blade shining for just a moment as it cuts through the bird, and he lands right before the woman. Her counterpart falls, leaving her helpless and wailing.

"Die," he states with no mercy.

"You're helping him too! You'll regret this Spard-"

Vergil's blade cuts the demon in two, letting her turn to ash. With the demon gone, Vergil's boots meet the dirt once more, and he turns his attention to you. The big demon, Goliath, suddenly explodes, sending you twirling through the air.

"You killed so many demons…" He slowly paces towards you. "Why? You're weak, barely able to competently wield father's sword… yet here…"

To Vergil's surprise, a large burst of demonic energy erupts from you as you Stinger through all the remaining demons down the path. You stop a fair distance away from Vergil, but your eyes are glazed over so you don't even recognize his presence. The wind passes through you both as he waits for what will come… and it does. You fall forward, Balrog disappearing, Force Edge clattering beside you.

Your brother approaches and kneels down beside you, rolling you onto your back so he can bear witness to your face.

"Brother… was I incorrect? Have you found… a purpose? Motivation?" The blue brother stands. "I will have to see. Waking you here, defeating you now… it would have no meaning. When you heal, when you're strong once more, I want to see your power."

With that, Vergil saunters away and Blake sprints towards you, not seeing or hearing Vergil.

"(Y/N)! (Y/N)!" She howls through the tears. "Please! Please stand up!" Her slides to a stop and kneels over you. "Please…" She rests her hands on your chest… and she feels beating. Blake, despite it all, smiles. "(Y/N)..."

**And there we go! Chapter 4 is out and, oh boy, you're becoming quite the demon slayer! Next chapter is already done so there won't be much of a wait! It's a super action packed chapter, much like DMC is normally, so it fits. It'll be super fun! I'm happy to finally get around to finishing this up. Then I can say I've made both a Blake story and Devil May Cry story. Well, see you guys soon!**

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	6. Chapter 5: The Power of a Son of Sparda

**Chapter 5: The Power of a Son of Sparda**

Your eyes flutter open just as Blake is about to put a warm cloth on your head.

"Ah, you're awake!" She leans back. "I wasn't… I mean, I had no idea when you'd-"

"AAAH," you yawn, lifting your upper body off the ground. You take a quick look around the room, recognizing that you're back in Blake's house. "I guess I did it… hehe," you stretch a little more. "Guess I killed more of them than I thought," you get to your feet, which invites Blake to follow.

"Hey! Don't move around so much."

"Oh, don't worry," you smile at her. "Demonic blood, remember? I feel fresh as a daisy."

"It… it's only been a few minutes since I brought you inside."

"Crazy, huh?" You smirk. "But we shouldn't dally," you roll your shoulders. "But we shou-"

Your words are cut off by Blake wrapping her arms around you, tears streaming down her face.

"You really scared me! There were so many demons and I couldn't… I just…"

You can't help but smile at her actions. You wrap one hand around her while setting the other on her head, slowly running your hands down her hair.

"It's okay… thank you for this. Nobody has ever really… been concerned for me. Well, Dante does but… it's not quite the same."

You take a few moments to merely be close with your companion. Blake's tight grip on you is warm, it's comforting. It's… something you haven't felt in a long time.

"I- uh… I really like this, but I think we should get moving," you whisper. "I think I know where your parents are, where all the Faunus are."

"Really?" Blake pulls her head back but keeps her arms on you.

"Yeah! If it's a place surrounded in demonic energy then it shouldn't be too hard to find. Especially with me, Balrog, and Kaimira on the case."

"I… thank you," she nods. "Thank you so much!"

"Don't thank me yet," you pat her head before stepping away. "We haven't found them. Come on, we can't delay!"

"Right!"

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It's a treacherous journey through Menagerie's harsh deserts. The whipping wind, sand storms, and even Grimm that appeared every so often made the adventure slower than you had hoped. Both you and your weapons can feel the beating of demonic power. It leads you to the lower end of a massive rock formation with a crack within it – large enough for a person to shimmy through.

"Yeah… it's definitely here…" You nod. "Come on," you wave for Blake to follow you while attempting to enter.

The Faunus follows behind, having a lot less trouble than you are. You keep hitting your head or twisting your ankles. But, after grunts and moans, you manage to get through the crack and bear witness to something completely unexpected. The Faunus are there, unconscious on the floor, while Blake's contact is strung up against the wall. In the center of this area, surrounded by the Faunus' bodies, is a glowing orb.

"Blake!" You look back at the girl, who's just exiting the crack.

"Mom! Dad!" Blake immediately runs towards them.

"Wait!"

As soon as the girl gets close enough to the orb, it lights up and she ragdolls to the floor.

"No!" You take a step forward. "Damnit!" You pull out Kaimira and aim. "Don't miss… don't miss… please…" You fire a shot that completely misses. The shots, being modelled after a shotgun, spread all across the room and start bouncing off the walls.

"No, no, no, no!" You panic as the bullets scatter.

Lucky for you, none of them hit any of the immobile Faunus but two pierce the orb. The ball rolls off the stand and crashes against the ground, immediately exploding into a blue flame that's cold as ice. It disappears quickly, leaving you a question of what really happened.

"Blake?" You slowly walk towards her. "Blake! Are you okay?" You sprint to the girl, sliding beside her. "Blake!?"

You flip her over, seeing her blink a few times. "I… what happened?"

"Ha," you smile and shake your head. "Nothing. I think…" Your eyes drift up and notice the other Faunus start to mumble and rise. You help Blake stand up and gesture her towards her parents. "Go on."

Blake stumbles towards her parents with a wide smile.

"Mom! Dad!"

"Blake?" Ghira says while on his knees. "Are my ears tricking me?"

"No!" Blake pulls her father into a hug. "No, they aren't!"

You smile at the sight of a family reunion. It's a lot less stabbing than you're used to, but that's probably a good thing. You shift your attention to the woman pinned to the wall, who's also waking up. You take a few steps towards her before hearing a familiar sound.

The swift slicing of the air, followed by a deafening roar as the rock wall beside you shatters to dust. Beyond it is Vergil, sheathing Yamato. You face your brother, donning a stance that's prepared for battle. Blake notices your sibling and moves in front of her parents.

"Blake… what's-"

"Not here," Blake quivers. "Dad, please keep everyone away from him. He's… not normal."

"Blake…" Ghira stands. "Everyone, back up," he shouts to the Faunus. "We're safe now, just stay back!"

"Blake, the woman," you flick your hand towards the wall.

She spots who you're speaking of and runs towards her immediately.

"Brother," you bow your head a bit. "Good to see you, as always."

"Indeed," Vergil slowly approaches. "You seem… quite lively after your battle."

"My battle… you were there?"

"I witnessed what I needed to, and I must admit, you surprised me," he stops a few meters away from you, noting Blake aiding his target. "I see now what motivates you."

"Heh," you smirk. "That's not something I ever expected you to say. It's usually more," you run your hand through your hair, making it a messier version of Vergil's. "'You lack any true motivation, and that's why you're weak,'" you shake your head to let your hair fall. "Or something like that."

"You know," he begins pacing back and forth. "I would kill those who mock me."

"It's not mocking," you shake your head, eyes following his movements. "I just want to be… accurate!"

"Whatever you wish to be," he stops, closer to Blake, and looks towards her. "Give me your artifacts."

"No way," you shake your head. "You got your own!"

Vergil closes his eyes and chuckles, remembering Dante saying the exact same thing to him once. "But I want yours, too."

You walk between Vergil and Blake – the latter having freed the woman from her restraints – and take a stand. "What do these even do, Vergil? Why do you even want them?"

"Why does it want them?" He gestures towards Blake with his eyes.

"I…" You pause. "I don't know."

"Is that not something to inquire about, (Y/N)," he twirls his scabbard. "Why would a measly Headmaster desire demonic relics?"

_They're demonic? I never felt any real power coming from them._

"Huh… I guess you got a point," you shrug. "But if I don't do this then we don't get paid and Dante would probably kill me," you end with a small chuckle. "So I'm gonna need that one you have."

"Hmph," Vergil adjusts his shirt just below the neck and places that on Yamato. "If you don't give it to me, I'll kill everyone here."

Force Edge slams against the floor. "No, you won't! They have nothing to do with this!"

"Do you not remember how this went last time?" Vergil slides his leg back.

"I do," you lift Force Edge up and grip it with both hands. "But I'm different than I was before!"

Vergil suddenly appears behind you, Yamato out of its sheath. "Are you?"

You suddenly feel the sting through your stomach. Blood splatters across the floor, but your stomach has healed before anything could truly happen. You turn around and swing your sword with such flair that it's obvious to everyone watching, even if they have no idea what's really happening.

Vergil spins around, parrying the attack with his sheath before slashing you up and down with Yamato, cutting right through your bones. He follows up, spinning himself around to bring down Yamato in a powerful downward strike, sending you tumbling back. He twirls his sword before slowly returning it to its sheath. You grasp at the sand as you try to slow yourself down. Once at a halt, you look back up at Vergil, who's holding his arm at a ninety-degree angle above him and spinning a summoned sword on his fingertip.

"Let's have some fun, (Y/N)," he states before clenching his fist and shattering the ethereal blade.

"Great," you get to your feet then stretch your back. "Now you choose to be flashy… HYAAA!"

You charge forward with a Stinger, which Vergil responds to with a Rapid Slash. Unfortunately, due to your terrible use of Stinger, you end up, once again, tripping on your front foot. This time you spin yourself around, trying not to fall flat on your face. While you spin your sword catches Vergil as he passes through you. The brother halts himself which prevents his attack from going through, while you're still trying to get your balance. He looks down at his chest where your blade cut.

"You really hit me, huh," he places his hand under his ribs, where your blade tore through, and snickers. "Perhaps you're not a waste of time after all. Perhaps your motivation really has given you strength."

You stabilize yourself hastily before scanning for Vergil. You know having him out of your sight is the worst thing to do. But, to your surprise, he's looking down at his chest. You raise your brow in confusion, not even thinking of using this moment to attack.

"You… alright there?"

"Hm… I am," he turns around, ready to battle once more.

"Alright," you keep your blade stable. "You know… I do want to protect all these people and help Blake… I always get this strange sensation when I fight you…" You admit, wait a moment, then smile.

Vergil smirks back. "We'll see if I feel the same."

You both disappear, Vergil using pure speed and you using Trickster, and appear far to the right, your blades sparking as they clash. Vergil pushes you high in the air and steps back. "Cut you down…" He flashes his blade for but a moment.

You know you can't counter his attacks, but you utilize your imperfect Royal Guard to defend yourself somewhat. Vergil's strikes cut through your clothes, your bones, everything. Yet you keep the stance and manage to charge up some power from that attack. You swiftly grab Force Edge and bring yourself down upon Vergil, but he teleports above you and cuts downward. His blade tears through your body, practically cutting you in half. You wince, quickly turning your blade up and thrust into Vergil. Once he lands, you both stare at one another - your blades still within each other's bodies.

The Faunus watching are all awestruck at this fight. The fact that you're both just cutting through each other and pushing on is something they've never seen before. Blake, on the other hand, isn't surprised. In fact, she's proud that you're holding on so well. You always talked down on yourself when it came to your power compared to your brothers, yet here you are. But Blake has her own job to do. She's finally released the woman, but she's still weak.

"Are you okay?" Blake asks, holding her and checking for any wounds.

"I'm… amazing," she smiles, slowly looking over at the battle before her. "It's… going to be okay."

"Yeah," Blake nods. "It will be. Please, I need the relic. Then we can get out of here."

"Ozma… is on his way…" The girl huffs. "You can take this… thing now…"

"Ozma?" Blake raises a brow before looking down at the relic. "Wait…"

You and Vergil clash once more, your blades heating up from the pressure being put against them. The elder brother notes the same sort of demonic surge within you while you're fighting him, and he can see the result. Your movements, while still sloppy, are much faster and your attacks have more weight behind them.

Vergil shifts his blade under yours and arcs up, knocking Force Edge away. He spins around, adopting Beowolf on his body and slams his fist into your stomach. You wince for but a moment before Balrog summons himself upon you.

"I'm superior to that welp!" Your weapon shouts.

"You're right!" You intertwine your hands and try to hammerfist Vergil. Your hands faze through Vergil's body while he appears behind you, kicking your back and sending you flying.

"I see you've obtained a new weapon," the other bounces in place, preparing for a new kind of fight. "How surprising."

"Oh yeah? Well… it was," you chuckle, getting back on your feet. "But now you're not so ahead of me."

Vergil smirks for a second before appearing behind you. "Yes, I am."

Your eyes shrink for a moment before you backhand behind you, but Vergil has already gone through you with Yamato. Blood bursts out of your stomach but it heals up instantly. You turn around again, sliding your foot across the ground and turning, rapidly flipping to kick him. Vergil leans back to avoid the attack and follows you into the air, moving his body with such fluidity and momentum as he knocks your foot away with one kick and then launches you higher up with his other foot. The elder appears above you, slamming his fist into your back that plummets you into the ground.

A small dust cloud erupts on impact. You cough, waving the dust out of your face. "He's still… so strong."

"You can do this, Sparda boy! You're far stronger than last time!"

"Above!" Balrog informs.

You look up and see Vergil coming down on you with his dominant foot. Balrog stokes the flame of his weapon while you channel the power you stored from Royal Guard. When both are complete, you jump in the air and uppercut. Your fist and his foot collide, the immense power of the clash resulting in an explosion that knocks both of you into opposite rock walls, Beowolf and Balrog disappearing from their owners.

You both get up, somewhat fatigued. You more so than Vergil, but this is the first time you've managed to take Vergil's breath away. You look for Force Edge, which is now closer to the Faunus. You walk towards it, your movement a little stiff from all the combat. Vergil sees you doing this and doesn't bother stopping you. After matching his power with Beowolf, he has a respect for you in this fight. Allowing you to rearm is only fair.

"(Y/N)!" Blake shouts. "This relic-"

"Keep it," you reach Force Edge and pick it up. "Guide the Faunus back to Menagerie!"

"You think I'll let them just leave with the relic?"

"No," you smirk. "But that means you have to get by me."

Vergil runs his hand through his hair. "Very well."

"Wait!" Blake pleads, running towards you, but you're back into combat with Vergil.

"What is it, Blake?" Ghira says before she passes him.

Blake opens her palm and reveals a golden rook chess piece. "This… I've seen this before."

Vergil blocks all your swings with his sheath, then ducking towards your swing and forward flipping over the next, summoning Beowolf on his foot and slamming it in your chest. You slide across the ground and immediately Stinger towards him. Vergil holds Yamato in front of him, waiting for the last moment before you hit to teleport behind you and slash your back. You stumble forward and Trickster in front of him - even if you intended to be behind him - and bring your sword down across his chest. Vergil grinds his teeth, attacking once more. Your blades clash over and over, each of you managing to spill blood. Vergil bounces off your weapon and slows himself down.

"You really have improved," you wave his hand before him to summon his signature blue swords. "I'm truly impressed."

"I just think of what I see you two do," you stretch your neck. "Then do my best to copy it."

"It's flawed."

"I know," you slouch.

While Vergil's blades remain around him to give protection, more appear above his shoulders and zoom towards you.

"GAH!" You jump to the side and avoid it, but the next one runs through your chest. "Oh, this isn't going to be fun."

You grab Kaimira from his holster and run towards your opponent with his blade still in your chest. You weave away from one, slash at another - though you miss and get impaled a second time - shoot one out of the air which does hamper your momentum. Vergil waves his hand again to summon a dozen swords each beside him, all of them firing rapidly at you.

"Whoa!" You fire Kaimira to the side to completely bypass the attack, but that distracts you from another dozen swords now above you. They all fall, piercing and pinning you to the ground. Vergil unsheathes his weapon and dashes through where you were, sliding to a halt and holding Yamato just out of its sheath

"It's over," he whispers before sheathing it.

All of the swords around you explode into beautiful blue flames. Vergil turns his attention to Blake, who hasn't actually moved the Faunus yet.

"Now… give me the-" Vergil turns around, slightly unsheathing Yamato to block your punch.

However, your sword has penetrated through his chest once more. "Heh…" Vergil looks into your violent eyes. "You've injured me more than Dante ever has."

You grind your teeth and push your arm through Yamato. Vergil's confused for a moment, but you quickly release Royal Guard's stored power, knocking the elder brother away and slicing through your arm yet again. He rests on his knee, huffing.

"You absorbed that power…" He thinks back to the swords. "I… have greatly underestimated your motivation."

"You've actually hurt Vergil," Kaimira says with shock. "I...I never thought I'd see it!"

"You are proving your strength," Balrog affirms.

"Yeah," you say through breaths. "We can do this…"

"We?" Vergil chuckles. "Aah… you always were too social. Even your weapons are your friends."

"Yeah? So what?" You grab Force Edge and hold it, the blade faltering a bit from your fatigue. "Without these two, I wouldn't be able to match up with you."

"You rely on others for your power? Why? You've never been strong on your own."

"Look who's talking, bro," you chuckle. "You look as tired as me!"

Vergil dashes towards you at incredible speeds, his blade thrusting through your stomach. He holds you there for a moment as you drop your sword. "What a familiar sight," your brother says with a condescending smirk.

You grind your teeth and summon Balrog, slamming it into Vergil's temple. The impact loosens his grip on Yamato, giving you the chance to rip it out from you and step forward, returning the favour by stabbing him with it. You keep a tight grip on the sword while your demonic power surges. You pick him up with the sword still in him and throw him towards one of the walls. He slams against it, Yamato entering the stone through Vergil's stomach.

You think you're safe, but the blue brother teleports in front of you, upward slashing with such strength that sends you flying towards Blake. You tumble across the ground, being stopped by your Faunus friend.

"Are you okay?" She asks.

"Heh… yeah," you slowly get to your feet.

Vergil is clearly out of breath from your encounter, more than you've ever seen him. You're surprised that you could even get him like this. Just a short time ago he completely dominated you.

"Well, isn't this a glorious sight," a new voice speaks. You, Blake, the Faunus, and Vergil take a gander at the new voice. Professor Ozpin approaches, a confident smile on his face. "In truth, I had hoped we'd be in this situation a long time ago. But it was you who came to the village, not Dante," he points at you. "Which was… not what I planned. But it all worked out."

"Professor Ozpin? What are you doing here? And… why is this relic the same from my initiation?"

Ozpin adopts a wide smile as he continues to approach. "Well, I wanted to marvel at my victorious plan. Not only do I see the two things I need," his eyes move between you and Vergil. "But you quelled that ridiculous rebellion against my plan. I commend you, Sons of Sparda," he claps.

"Ozma," Vergil exhales while standing up straight. "It took you a long time to show your cowardly face."

"Why would I?" Ozpin says with a chuckle. "I know you'd tear me to ribbons, but…" Ozpin appeared right in front of Vergil. "You seem a little under the weather right now," Vergil steps back and slashes, but Ozpin appears behind him and kicks the elder away. He looks down at the amulet he now has – Vergil's amulet. "As I said, I hoped you and Dante would do that a long time ago – tire yourselves out so I could take your amulets in one go. You, after all," he looks to you with a chuckle. "I knew I could take your sword whenever I pleased."

"What are you talking about, Professor? These relics," she looks down at it. "They're fake! And my people-"

"If I didn't send people, Vergil wouldn't believe these relics were truly powerful," Ozpin slowly approaches you and Blake. "And it worked like a charm. Now I have this amulet… the sword," Ozpin blitzes you, grabbing your sword, spinning it so you're upside down in the air, and kicks you away. " And now, I can collect Sparda's power for myself… and release Mundus to this world. As for your question, Blake," he turns to her. "I had nothing to do with these Faunus. Their fates won't change, however. Everyone will die soon," he ends with a soft smile.

"You buffoon!" Vergil gets to his feet. "You believe you can do this to us?"

Ozpin laughs. "I already have. Goodbye," the man explodes in bright light and disappears.

"Damnit!" You slam the ground. "He took dad's sword. I couldn't…" You hit the ground again.

"Gather yourself. Don't be pathetic," Vergil dismisses. "He needs the other amulet, which means he'll be going to Dante," Vergil cuts through the air twice, vertically and horizontally, making a portal. "Remain here, I'll-"

"No way!" You get up. "He stole my sword… he's coming after us! I won't just sit back!"

Vergil looks over his shoulder at you for a moment, then turns to his portal to hide a smirk. "Very well. Come on."

"Right," you nod, then turn to Blake. "Take your people back while Vergil and I head back to Vale."

"What? But… you two were just-"

"Brotherly fighting," you rub the back of your head and chuckle. "But this guy… I don't know who he is to you, but if he steals dad's power and releases Mundus…" You let that hang in the air for a moment. "Well, it won't end well for anyone."

Blake stutters for a moment, unsure what to do. You're not even phased by the fact that you and your brother were just fighting a lethal battle and are now going to team up. That's not even counting the fact that her headmaster is going to do something so evil.

"You…" She looks back at the Faunus, focusing on her parents, then returns to you. "I… you're going to be okay?"

"Heh, of course," you smile at her. "Plus, I'll have my big brothers looking after me," you gesture back to Vergil, who's irritated waiting for you.

Blake seems to hesitate for a moment, knowing where she is and the situation that may happen, and rushes up to you. She grabs the back of your neck and pulls you down for an unexpected kiss. You're caught off guard completely while Vergil rolls his eyes and Blake's parents raise their brows. She lets you go and stares intently into your eyes.

"Be safe."

"Heh…" You find a newfound conviction. "Right!"

You both turn back towards your family with goals in mind. Blake's the first to reach her parents, who both give her an intrigued look. Blake's ears fall while she looks away and blushes.

"D-Don't look at me like that."

"Blake," Ghira places a hand on her shoulder. "Go on. I can bring us back."

"What?"

"They'll need your help."

"I don't think-"

"Go, Blake," Kali grabs her daughter's hands. "We'll be okay."

The girl looks between her parents for a few moments, hearing that you're getting close to Vergil.

"But mom! I just kissed him and made a whole goodbye thing and now I have to…" The girl pouts at her smiling mother. She sighs and runs towards you. "Wait!"

You stop just beside Vergil, looking back. "Heh… you mind?" You eye your brother.

"I won't protect her."

"Better than trying to kill her," you nod.

With Blake now there, you all enter Vergil's portal and come out right in front of Devil May Cry. The front has a massive hole in it and is completely demolished on the inside. You immediately run towards the building.

"Dante!" You burst through the door and look around. There's a big crater in the ground where the red-coated demon hunter lifts himself out of.

"Man, can't enjoy a little alone time," he gets up. "What're you…" Dante looks past you to Vergil and Blake. "Well, look at this family reunion. Didn't expect you to bring a date, Vergil."

"She's not mine," he bluntly replies.

Dante points to you, which Vergil replies with a nod. "Oh, well, I wasn't expecting that."

"Enough foolishness, Dante," Vergil steps forward. "Do you have your amulet?"

"Wow, thanks for asking if I'm okay," Dante places a hand on his chest and feels the lack of a jewel. "Well… that's something."

"Mm," Vergil turns towards the door. "Our amulets… Sparda's sword…"

"Someone took your sword?" Dante looks to you.

"Hehe, well… Vergil kinda tired me out."

"Um… shouldn't we be stopping Ozpin?" Blake points out.

"His name isn't Ozpin," Vergil states. "He's a demon, a lesser one, called Ozma."

"A demon?"

"Well, looks like we got something to do," Dante grabs Rebellion off the wall and sticks it on his back. "I was getting stiff. You, though…" He looks to you. "You need a weapon."

"I do have one," you say before summoning Balrog on your body.

"You beat a demon?" Dante half chuckles. "Look at you, little hunter growing up," he laughs. "But do you want a sword? I have a few… somewhere…" Dante looks around the room to any of the Devil Arms that're just strung about.

"We… really should be going…" Blake sighs.

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The three Sons of Sparda walk down the street of Vale, a clear view of Beacon ahead. You check out your weapons a bit, the two blades Agni and Rudra. As you try to spin them around you keep slicing at your legs or ribs. Vergil ignores it while Dante looks away, getting second-hand embarrassment. Blake, who's a few steps behind, is more worried about what's happening at Beacon.

At the very top of Beacon tower, Ozma holds Force Edge in one hand and the two amulets, now combined, in the other.

"Finally… I've resided in the Temen-ni-gru for years, waiting for this moment… now…" He slowly raises the blade into the air. Now, with the amulets together along with Force Edge, the blade begins to twist and mould into its true form – The Devil Sword Sparda. The full power from within the tower finally releases unto Ozpin, waves of demonic energy overwhelmingly surging within him.

The students of Beacon are unsure how to react to what's happening. Some are on guard, some are just curious about what their headmaster is doing. Even the people of Vale can see the grand event happening before them. Dark clouds, consistent lightning, and waves of demonic energy make it a focal point for the people of Vale.

You three, however…

"So, how exactly did you lose your stuff?" Dante looks over his shoulder.

"Well," you laugh. "Let me just say, you sent me on the craziest mission!"

"Your contract was all a ruse," Vergil remarks.

"But Vergil and me were kinda tired after fighting each other! That's why we lost our stuff."

"What?" Dante laughs. "You tuckered out ol' stone face there?" Dante looks past you at Vergil.

"I believe our brother is stronger than you think," Vergil replies.

"Hey, thanks!" You pat Vergil's shoulder, which he immediately responds by slashing through your arm.

"Don't touch me."

"OW!" You whine, grabbing your arm.

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Ozma, high above Beacon, now takes a new form. Taller than he used to be, Ozma has adopted a somewhat insect looking appearance with clawed hands, a scaly hide, downward horns coming from his temples, armoured wings, hooved feet, and reptilian spines coming out of his back. His eyes have become completely red with one diamond-shaped red eye in the center of his forehead. He has taken on the form of the Legendary Dark Knight Sparda.

"Finally… I have Sparda's power! AND NOW, GREAT MUNDUS!" He looks to the sky. "COME FORTH!"

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"So, who's the babe? Where'd you meet her?" Dante looks over his shoulder.

"I can hear you!" Blake frowns.

"Okay," Dante turns around, still walking with you and Vergil. "Hi, who're you?"

"I'm Blake. I've been with (Y/N) this whole time."

"Really?" He leans back to see your face. "The one mission I send you on and you get babes. Know what I got?"

"Patty?" You laugh, to which even Vergil snickers.

"Yeah," Dante sighs, turning forward again. "Patty…"

"So, how are we getting there, anyway? There's a lake between us and Beacon."

"That's nothing," Vergil cuts open another dimensional rift. "We're there."

"Why can't you do that?" You eye Dante.

"I won't let you live with me anymore."

You four march through the portal and arrive in a small courtyard in front of the tower. You look to the top of Beacon tower, now taking on a new twisted appearance. Ozma who, with the help of the Temen-ni-gru, has opened up a way to the Demon Realm. In the air, three glowing red eyes peer through a portal.

"Hmph, the Demon King Mundus," Vergil notes.

"Him… he's the one who killed mother," Dante grips Rebellion. "He's the one I want to kill."

"The demon behind everything… behind us…"

Blake eyes you three. She thinks back to your old house when you vented about your family and how shattering it was to each of you. How that single event shaped each of you. Now this Demon is in front of you, ready for repentance. Despite their calm demeanour, Blake can only imagine that they too have boiling emotions within them.

"The Sons of Sparda… disgusting creatures," Mundus' voice echoes. "Ozma, you've done well to bring me back. Now, I will-"

"No," Ozma cuts him off, pointing the Devil Sword Sparda at the Demon King, the blade unleashing red lightning at the portal.

"WHAT IS THIS?" Mundus screeches.

"Your power is travelling between worlds! I can absorb it while you're vulnerable!" Ozma laughs. "I'm the Demon King now! With your power and Sparda's power…" Mundus' screams slowly dwindle as all his demonic power is absorbed by Ozma. The Sparda lookalike rises higher in the air as his body tries to handle all the demonic energy surging through him.

"NOW, PATHETIC HUMANS," he laughs. "SAY YOUR FINAL GOODBYES! YOU'RE ALL DEA-"

Dante fires his pistols at Ozma, not really doing anything.

"Jeez, shut up already," he rests one pistol on his shoulder. "You give our family a bad name, you know?"

"You think you can handle Sparda's power?" Vergil chuckles. "No… you can't. That power is mine."

"Yeah!" You cheer. "You… suck."

"I could tear apart the dimensions right now and summon every demon… but why do that? I'll hang your corpses above, keep them as trophies. You… will all die."

Ozma rushes down from the top of the tower at you all. Vergil and Dante go to counter whilst you merely stand there. The echo of their swords shakes all of Beacon, knocking you and Blake over.

"Blake, you gotta stay away!" You shout.

"But-"

"Find your friends! This is more than-"

Dante and Vergil are sent flying in either direction before Ozma rushes at you, grabbing your face and twirling into the air. He spirals round and round, not letting you gain your bearings at all before throwing you down with such force that you're surrounded in fire. You slam against the concrete, exploding in a massive dust cloud.

Blake can only look back, now unsure of what to do. She can see Dante and Vergil just getting up after they were attacked. You three are the strongest people Blake knows. If you're having trouble…

Dante brushes himself off and rolls his shoulders. "Alright, this is the second time you've caught me off guard," Dante swings Rebellion around in his hand. "It won't happen a third time!"

"You will regret facing the Sons of Sparda!" Vergil shouts.

The red and blue brothers attack from both sides with extreme speed and force. Ozma, without really reacting, blocks Yamato and catches Rebellion.

"Your strikes hold weight," Ozma notes. "If I only had Sparda's power, you three may have posed a threat to me."

You run in from behind with both weapons in hand, jump above him and bring down both swords in an x-formation. The momentum of your strike messes with you more than him. You bump into him and step back. His unmoving figure shakes you to your core.

"You…" He chuckles. The demon pulls the swords together, crushing you between Dante and Vergil then throwing the two into separate buildings. He grabs your throat, borderline crushing it with ease. Your demonic blood is the only thing keeping you alive. "Pathetic child… your usefulness-"

Gambol Shroud connects with Ozma's back, shattering the entire blade on impact. Blake freezes for a moment, staring up at the demonic presence as it turns around.

"B-Blake…" You exhale.

"Ms. Belladonna… I believe ending you right here would be a mercy… for allowing this all to happen."

Blake can't even run. Her legs just aren't moving. Her mind is completely frozen. Ozma backhands her – shattering Aura on contact – sending her body twirling to the air until she slams against the concrete. Ozma drops you next, your body flopping. He slowly approaches Blake as she's unconsciously laying on the floor. He opens his palm and gathers some demonic energy.

"Goodbye, Miss Belladonna…"

You land in front of him with Balrog at the ready. Your body is sparking with demonic power while you take a Royal Guard stance. Ozma recognizes you immediately, amping up his power immensely and releasing a blast that shatters your stance. You flip over Blake and land a few feet away from her, that flash of demonic power disappearing.

"Your persistence is annoying now…"

A dozen blue swords surround Ozma and immediately converge on him. The demon waves his hand, breaking all of them before they hit.

"Half-breeds like yourselves have no right attacking someone as powerful as I," he steps forward to see both Vergil and Dante. "Your father's power, Mundus' power… I am the ultimate being of all worlds!" Ozma raises his hands to his sides. "Mephala tried to stop me… but now I am the penultimate demon! No longer will I ever be subjected to-"

Dante interrupts Ozma with a few bullets. "Seriously, you need to shut up," the brother puts his pistols away and grabs Rebellion. "It's round two."

"Another loss.

The two brothers run at their false father, each moving around to either side of Ozma, but keep in front of him to draw his attention away from you. The brothers take two different approaches – Dante uses Trickster to appear above him and then bring down Rebellion upon him. Ozma counters, leaving him open for Vergil to dash right through him. Though, even Yamato doesn't make the new demon flinch. Ozma reaches for Dante's leg but the Devil Hunter spontaneously dashes backwards thanks to Trickster. In an instant, he grabs Ebony and Ivory to pepper Ozma's face with annoyance.

"Don't move," Vergil whispers as he sends a flurry of strikes right where Ozma is standing. Despite each of them connecting, he isn't phased by it at all.

"You pathetic creatures!" Ozma blitzes Dante, grabbing the red one's face and releasing a demonic blast that forces him to the ground. He turns to Vergil and rushes at the eldest brother. Vergil dashes away, on the defensive as he slides across the ground like it's ice. He does his best to repel and parry Ozma's attacks. But the speed and power of this demon eventually breaks Vergil's guard, opening the blue brother up for an attack. However, you run in, tackling the demon into a nearby archway.

"UNLEASH THE FLAME!" Balrog shouts.

You push off Ozma and start a flurry of punches with such speed and power that you're not even coordinated with it anymore. Ozma pushes off the column and grabs your throat.

"Why do you even bother?" The demon lord levitates into the air while your two brothers watch. "You're so insignificant, so pathetic… you don't deserve Sparda's blood."

You struggle with all your might, slamming your fists and feet into him with a fully flamed Balrog, but it does nothing. Ozma leans into your ear.

"I'll enjoy feeding your entrails to my followers," he whispers before ramming Sparda into your stomach.

You've never felt pain to this extent before. Your body doesn't feel like it's healing the attack like it normally does. Your breathing speeds up, your eyes frantic. Ozma releases your neck and sadistically watches you fall to the cement below.

Everything seems cold now… yet there's this strange heat in your chest that slowly spreads through your body. The voices of your friends, your brothers, they echo through your head.

"_You'll get there! Just keep going at it and you'll be an ace Devil Hunter like you're ol' brother here!"_

"_Caring for humans… it was always your weakness."_

"_One day, (Y/N), you're going to have to help me. When I find the demon who killed her…"_

"_You lack any sort of motivation!"_

"_I love you, son."_

"_I'm counting on you, brother. I know you'll have my back."_

"_What steps have you taken to achieve that? Where has your motivation led you?"_

"_Without strength, you cannot protect anything."_

"(Y/N)!" Blake crawls across the ground. "Please… get… up!"

"Blake!" Three other girls notice her amongst the chaos.

"N-No… stay away! Please!" She pleads, waving the girls away.

Dante and Vergil… smile upon seeing you hit the floor, the Devil Sword Sparda firmly planted through your body. Dante and Vergil take a moment to breathe and ready their weapons.

Ozma lands on the other side of you, looking towards the brothers and the pathetic team RWBY, but ignores the humans.

"It seems you too are happy to be rid of such filth."

"Hehe," Vergil snickers to himself. "No… it's merely amusing that you've made such a crucial error."

"What?" Ozma questions.

"Idiot," Dante shakes his head as demonic power slowly surges around them. "Never stab a Son of Sparda…"

"With his own weapon."

A massive explosion erupts your body, giving birth to a new form that puts pressure on everyone around, half-breed and demon alike. Out of the flashing and electrifying power is a figure familiar to everyone around. You step out, also having the form of Sparda while holding his blade.

"_Allow my power to guide you, son." _A mysterious yet calming voice speaks to you. _"You're different from your brothers, but your soul still resembles mine. Take my knowledge, my power, and show him what a real Dark Knight can do!"_

_Alright, dad… I'll embrace your side. I'll embrace the power given to me as a Son of Sparda!_

"S-Sparda?" Ozma steps back in fear. "No! You aren't Sparda! Sparda's power is mine!"

You lift your hand and release a shockwave that sends Ozma spiralling uncontrollably all the way back to his tower.

"(Y/N)?" Blake whimpers.

"Blake!" The members of team RWBY rush to her side. "Are you okay?"

You keep your eyes locked on Ozma as he crashes into his tower. Without turning to acknowledge your allies, you still speak to them.

"Stay out of the way."

Your wings extend as you leap off your right leg and soar towards the mirroring demon. Ozma is helpless as you slam Sparda through his stomach and the wall behind him, effectively locking him in place. You lift the blade up and fly, dragging Ozma halfway up the tower before grabbing the sword with both arms, turning around, and throwing both Ozma and stone behind him back to the ground. Ozma crashes against the ground, swiftly crushed by the following cement, and finished with you slamming your foot against his back. The demon's scream echoes through the grounds of Beacon Academy. He grinds his teeth whilst releasing a shockwave that barely knocks you back.

He gets to his feet, recognizably angry by his heaving chest.

"You… think… you're even comparable to me?"

"I don't care," you say with the demonic layer in your voice.

You waste no time in attacking once more. Ozma manages to focus a demonic blade in his hands. Your blade collides with his, shattering an entire section of it on impact. It barely manages to keep your blade from cutting him. You continue to attack, forcing Ozma to summon incomplete swords that you shatter with every swing. His stance falters, his confidence shakes. The demon, instead of making another sword, dashes back closer to Dante and Vergil, then soars into the air. He lifts his hands, spawning a variety of black portals that release dark lightning. You fly after him, watching each of the bolts soaring towards you. With the guidance of your father's power, you weave through the bolts, even cutting through one before reaching Ozma. You bring your sword down on Ozma, only to follow with a stabbing flurry that allows you to spin around him. While you move, Sparda begins to shift from a blade to a scythe. You pull the scythe, cutting into Ozma and slamming him against your back. Balrog appears on your left arm, his flames growing hotter than ever before. He's never felt this surge of power before.

You crash your elbow into Ozma's back, releasing Balrog's flames. The demon is pushed through the scythe, but all his power allows him to regenerate it. You then Trickster in front of him, Sparda now a sword again, and ram it into his stomach.

"You disgrace Sparda's legacy. Take another form you wretch."

Sparda extends, taking it's spear form before you turn around and whip Ozma right back to his tower. The blade returns to its natural form as you return to the ground with your allies. Dante, Vergil, and team RWBY are all surprised by your display of power.

You turn around to face them before a lightning bolt hits you and your human form is prominent.

"Thanks for coming, Blake, but this is something we have to do," you look to Dante and Vergil. "We can't kill Mundus anymore… but this guy is everything Mundus was… and he's disgracing our father's name. We're going to kill him together… as a family."

Dante slowly approaches, a wide smile on his face. "Look at you, little bro. Who knew your Devil Trigger would look so much like pop," he stops beside you and pats your shoulder. "You're a real fighter now."

"Heh… you think?"

"Mhm," he nods. "But now that you're gonna use it," a red burst of power washes over Dante as he takes on his Devil Trigger. "Guess I can't be slacking," Dante rolls his shoulders. "You're right, (Y/N). I've spent my whole life wanting to kill Mundus, and this guy takes it away from me," he shakes his head. "I gotta pay him back for that!"

You look to Vergil, who's examining you intensely. The sword, the form, you have Sparda's power within you. Even your demeanour is a lot more focused and calm than it ever has been before.

"Why you..? Why does our father's power bestow itself to you?"

"I… I don't know. You probably deserve it more," you half-heartedly chuckle. "But right now, Vergil, we have to stop Ozma with everything we got," you transform back into your Devil Trigger.

"So it would seem," Vergil does the same, his form mirroring Dante's aside from Yamato's sheathe seemingly becoming an attachment to his arm. "But once this is over, we will fight again."

"Of course," you nod.

With each of you now taking on your true, demonic states, you march together towards Ozma. The new Demon King panics as he watches all of you approach.

"No! NOOOOOOOOO! I deserve this power! I won't lose to you pathetic half-breeds!" He screams, the air itself trembling.

This overwhelming frustration and desire for power, along with the extremely heavy force of both Sparda and Mundus', begins to tear Ozma's body apart. It falls out of itself, layering with swirling blue energy. That energy grabs hold of the rock and cement around it, using it as pseudo armour. This form grows and grows, becoming as tall as the regular buildings around Beacon. Grotesque eyes begin forming around his body, moving around with the flow of energy that it's become.

This repulsive transformation doesn't halt any of you. It does make some of the other nearby students scream, throw up, or pass out.

"I have power… all this power that you cannot hope to reach!" His voice has become far more distorted.

"You know, Vergil, he kinda sounds like you," Dante remarks.

"Don't dare compare me to such an insect!"

"You do talk about power a lot," you remark.

Vergil briefly looks over at you two before sprinting forward towards your enemy.

Dante laughs. "Hey, come on! Don't be such a sour puss, Vergil!" He rushes in after the elder.

You feel an oddly natural sensation come about you. Like your body knows what to do without you really telling it to. You look down to the grotesque sword in your hand. It's just like before, when you first transformed. Your father is guiding you again. You spin your sword to the side and charge in, practically flying across the ground.

Dante weaves through the arms chasing him, cutting them apart with ease. When four of them try to wrap around him, he Trickster's atop the demon, guns in hand, and rains bullets down upon it while spinning around. Ozma growls while it grabs loose pieces of cement and attempts to crush his opponent. Vergil, however, zooms right through the arms, preventing any retaliation from the blob. Finally, you glide in, slashing through the side, spinning around, and cutting upwards.

"Finally joining?" Dante teases while fending off a few limbs.

"You're all going to die!" Ozma's distorted voice screams.

"Yeah, yeah," Dante flips back, landing beside Vergil who waves his hand and rains down a seemingly limitless amount of Summoned Swords. You grab Kaimira, fueling the Devil Arm with your newfound energy.

"Whoa nelly, that's a rush if I've ever felt one," it comments.

You smirk before firing shells of devastating demon-killing rounds. It blows off some of the limbs, making them writhing on the ground. You quickly shift back to Sparda and charge forward, the blade piercing through its body. You morph it into scythe mode, twisting and pulling to tear apart anything inside. Meanwhile, Dante is weaving around the blob, slashing at its arms, legs, and body. Ozma is unable to do anything against this onslaught.

"Look at what all that power has done to you. You're a blob, unable to truly fight."

"Silence, boy! You don't have Sparda's power! I do! I DO!"

You pull out your weapon and see something before he can heal. There's a husk in the center, curled up and helpless.

_Is that… his body?_

Ozma's power starts to ferociously leak out, disintegrating everything nearby. You and your brothers back up, all regrouping with one another.

"What a disgusting creature…" Vergil sneers.

"I think I know how to kill him," you quickly say, quiet enough to hide it from Ozma. "I think I saw his body in the center."

"Sounds like a plan," Dante spins Rebellion. "How do you wanna do this?"

"Dante, ready your guns. Vergil, you and me are gonna try to rip him apart. When we get it, you fall back with Dante. I'll make sure it stays open."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Dante puts Rebellion away and grabs his guns, firing on the beast with everything he has.

You and Vergil dash in, nearly invisible and stab the same spot. Knowing it worked, you repeat what you did earlier in turning Sparda to its scythe form and tearing Ozma's body apart. Vergil takes a few steps back, using Yamato's fast and sharp cuts to reduce his layers. The stone armour he once had is cut apart instantly thanks to Vergil. The elder notes how fast the Ozma is recovering and about to attack.

"Keep driving a hole!" Vergil shouts, channelling all his demonic energy into the greatest Judgement Cut he's ever done, exhaling deeply as he sheathes his sword. It slices him apart to such a scale that Ozma's massive body is reduced to nothing larger than a car. Without skipping a beat, you fill Sparda with demonic power and spin it around to tear open a hole. You immediately summon Balrog and unleash powerful flames within the hole, keeping it open.

Dante smiles, grabbing Ebony and Ivory and spinning them around. He points at Ozma, pausing a moment when Vergil slides beside him.

"Hey, Vergil… want one?"

"Hmph," Vergil catches the gun Dante tosses him. "I can try it your way for once," he says while moving back to back with Dante, their guns being diagonal and vertical to one another.

"Remember what we used to say?" Dante asked, eliciting a smirk from Vergil.

You push off of Ozma and spin, kneeling down below your brothers while grabbing Kaimira.

"You're not doing it without me!"

"Jackpot!"

"Potluck!"

The demonic fueled bullets spiral through the air, the red and blue seemingly drawn in by your purple. They all pierce through his squishy body and penetrate the husk inside, exploding on contact. Ozma doesn't have time to even say his final words before his body blows up into tiny chunks. The power that was once Sparda's slowly spirals into you, returning it all to the sword.

"Did you say potluck?" Dante asks you while returning to his human form.

"Isn't… that what it is?" You and Vergil do the same.

"No! It's jackpot!"

"Even I knew that," Vergil comments.

"But… I… how would I remember?"

"Dante does say his foolish lines often. We also said it as children."

"I'm younger than you two!" You wave your hands. "Jackpot… huh? Wait, so what about that other one?"

"Which one?" Dante tilts his head.

"I definitely got this one right," you clear your throat, slide back, and get into position. "This party's getting whacky!"

"You're not allowed to live with me anymore," Dante turns and walks away.

"W-Wait!" You run after your brothers. "What is it really called? What do you say, Dante? Dante! DANTE!"

You stop and laugh. "Wait, Dante!" You say in a more serious tone, getting the man's attention. "There's one more thing we gotta do."

"There is, Vergil, grabs hold of Yamato. "We must settle this."

"No," you shake your head. "After fighting alongside you guys for the first time… I had a lot of fun," you chuckle, grabbing Sparda off your back and staring at it. "But I had to rely on dad's power. I heard him, I think. He helped me fight. But…" You place your hand on Sparda, seemingly grabbing hold of something. You use all your might to pull out the two amulets, returning Sparda to Force Edge. You put your blade away and toss your brothers the amulets, which they catch.

"I… don't understand," Vergil looks at it and shakes his head. "Why… you had our father's power… why throw it away?"

You shrug and laugh. "I don't know… I just want… I want to be able to keep up with you guys on my own. Now that I know what that looks like I won't stop until I'm there!"

Dante smirks and keeps walking. "I'll see you back at home, kid."

"Isn't… it destroyed," you scratch your head.

"I don't understand you," Vergil notes. "You gave up all that power… to attain it some other way?"

"Hehe, I guess so," you shrug. "I'll fight you again Vergil, soon. I promise."

Vergil squints at you, unsure how to take this. He'd never do anything so…

"Foolishness," Vergil shakes his head. "But… I believe that's part of your power," he turns around and creates a portal for himself. "You're stronger than we give you credit for, little brother. I'm looking forward to our next match."

With that, the two Sons of Sparda leave. You remain, looking over the destruction caused by Ozma, and the scared teenagers who never even knew demons existed before now.

"Can't believe it, sonny."

"I know…"

"How can Vergil think you're any good?" Kaimira continues.

"Hey! I'm plenty strong!"

"At times," Balrog replies.

"You know what? Now I just have to go on another adventure and prove to you two that I," you slam your hand against your chest. "Am a very strong person. But first," you look towards Beacon. "I have to find Blake…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**A Few Weeks Later…**

"Ah, this is better," Dante sits in his chair, grabbing a slice of pizza. "It's like nothing ever happened."

"Can I have some," you moan while panting on the couch. "I'm the one… who rebuilt this place, you know?"

"And I'm very thankful for that, little bro. Your right, here," Dante grabs a slice and throws it at you.

Your catch completely misses and the pizza splats right on your face. Dante snickers. "That was your fault."

"Eeeh," you grab the food off your face and start to eat it.

The front door suddenly opens for Blake.

"Are you here?"

"Yeah," you wave with pizza grease and sauce all over your face.

"Here… and not ready," Blake shakes her head. "Come on, it's the school dance. Why aren't you in a suit yet?"

"I thought we were changing there?"

"You have a suit?" Dante comments.

"Alright, I'm coming," you roll off the couch and walk towards Blake.

She huffs. "We're gonna have to clean off your face first…"

"Oh, right!"

As soon as the words leave your lips, a tear in space-time opens and Vergil steps out.

"I've given you time, brother. Our rematch is now!" He points Yamato towards you.

"Oh, here we go," Dante grabs another slice and smiles, looking forward to the show.

"I, uh… can't! I have a thing to go to!"

"Don't try and weasel your way out of this," he pulls his hand back.

Blake rubs her temples. "Family… it's always complicated.

"VERGIL! VERGIL WAIT! AAAAAAAAAH, MY SPLEIN! STOP IT!"

"Show me your motivation!"

"CALM YOURS DOWN!"

"Blast!"

"VERGIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIL!"

**And with that… I have finally written the Blake story. Plus a DMC story! So that's fun. This chapter turned out to be way longer than I intended. I think I added an extra 4,000 words while going over it again. I don't know, I wanted it to be super fun and action-packed. I hope you all enjoyed this little adventure! I had a BLAST writing it.**

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